Patient monitoring system

ABSTRACT

A patient monitoring system includes an inflatable cuff, a gas reservoir containing a compressed gas, and a sensor. When the inflatable cuff is coupled to a wearer, the gas reservoir supplies gas to the inflatable cuff to inflate the inflatable cuff via gas pathways. As the inflatable cuff inflates, a patient monitor can receive blood pressure data from the sensor and use the blood pressure data to determine the blood pressure of the wearer. The patient monitor can also receive blood pressure data during deflation of the inflatable cuff to determine the blood pressure of the wearer.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claim priority benefit to U.S. Prov. App. Nos. 61/645,570 filed May 10, 2012, 61/713,482 filed Oct. 13, 2012, and 61/775,567 filed Mar. 9, 2013, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/527,370, filed Jun. 19, 2012, entitled PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM, which claims priority benefit to U.S. Prov. App. Nos. 61/499,515, filed Jun. 21, 2011, entitled BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM, and 61/645,570, filed May 10, 2012, entitled PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM.

BACKGROUND

Hospitals, nursing homes, and other wearer care facilities typically include patient monitoring devices at one or more bedsides in the facility. Patient monitoring devices generally include sensors, processing equipment, and displays for obtaining and analyzing a medical wearer's physiological parameters such as blood oxygen saturation level, respiratory rate, and the like. Clinicians, including doctors, nurses, and other users, use the physiological parameters obtained from patient monitors to diagnose illnesses and to prescribe treatments. Clinicians also use the physiological parameters to monitor wearers during various clinical situations to determine whether to increase the level of medical care given to wearers. Additionally, monitoring equipment is often used in corporate care facilities, fitness facilities, recreational and home care applications, as well as mobile or other emergency care environments.

Blood pressure (which can refer to diastolic pressure, systolic pressure, and/or some combination or mathematical representation of same) considered one of the principal vital signs, is one example of a physiological parameter that can be monitored. Blood Pressure monitoring is an important indicator of a wearer's cardiovascular status. Many devices allow blood pressure to be measured by manual or digital sphygmomanometer systems that utilize an inflatable cuff applied to a person's arm. The term “sphygmomanometer” is meant to receive its ordinary broad meaning known to an artisan to include devices used to measure blood pressure. These devices often include an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow and a device capable of measuring the pressure. Other device(s) are used to determine at what pressure blood flow is just starting and at what pressure it is just unimpeded, commonly referred to as “systolic” and “diastolic,” respectively. The term “systolic blood pressure” is meant to receive its ordinary broad meaning known to an artisan to include the pressure exerted on the bloodstream by the heart when it contracts, forcing blood from the ventricles of the heart into the pulmonary artery and the aorta. The term “diastolic blood pressure” is meant to receive its ordinary broad meaning known to an artisan to include the pressure in the bloodstream when the heart relaxes and dilates, filling with blood.

In a typical pressure monitoring system, a hand actuated pump or an electric motor inflates the inflatable cuff to a pressure level at or above the expected systolic pressure of the wearer and high enough to occlude an artery. Automated or motorized blood pressure monitoring systems use a motor or pump to inflate the inflatable cuff, while manual blood pressure monitors typically use an inflation bulb. As the air from the inflatable cuff is slowly released, the wearer's blood pressure can be determined by detecting Korotkoff sounds using a stethoscope or other detection device placed over an artery.

Alternatively, digital sphygmomanometers compute diastolic and systolic pressure as the inflatable cuff deflates based on the oscillations observed by a pressure sensor on the cuff. For example, some digital sphygmomanometers calculate the systolic blood pressure as the pressure at which the oscillations become detectable and the diastolic pressure as the pressure at which the oscillations are no longer detectable. Other digital sphygmomanometers calculate the mean arterial pressure first (the pressure on the cuff at which the oscillations have the maximum amplitude). The diastolic and systolic pressures are then calculated based on their fractional relationship with the mean arterial pressure. Other algorithms are used, such as identifying the change in slope of the amplitude of the pressure fluctuations to calculate the diastolic pressure.

As mentioned above, the foregoing methods of determining blood pressure include inflating the cuff to a pressure high enough to occlude an artery and then determining blood pressure during deflation of the inflatable cuff. Occluding the artery and then determining blood pressure during deflation can have a number of drawbacks. For example, inflating the inflatable cuff to a pressure higher than systolic pressure can cause pain and discomfort to the wearer. Other adverse effects can include limb edema, venous stasis, peripheral neuropathy, etc, or simply wearer interruption. In addition, as the artery is completely occluded prior to each measurement, sufficient time must elapse between measurements to ensure accurate results. Furthermore, manual systems make it difficult to measure blood pressure during inflation of the inflatable cuff due to the difficult of inflating the inflatable cuff at an approximately constant rate using an inflation bulb.

Digital blood pressure monitors can have additional drawbacks. The motors used to pump gas into the cuff are often noisy and can disturb wearers at rest. This is especially problematic in recovery situations. In addition to auditory noise in automated or motorized systems, the motors can cause electrical noise in sensor signals making signal processing used to identify reference points for blood pressure detection unreliable and difficult. Furthermore, portable motorized blood pressure monitors require a significant amount of power to produce the air pressure required to inflate the cuff. Since batteries are often used to provide power, designers often use large batteries and/or batteries that frequently need to be recharged or replaced. When a large batter is chosen, its size often offsets the goals of portability as an appropriate housing becomes more cumbersome and less convenient.

SUMMARY

Based on at least the foregoing drawbacks, a need exists for a patient monitoring system that relatively quickly determines blood pressure measurements without necessarily greatly disturbing a patient. Moreover, a need exists for a portable patient monitoring system with battery longevity. Accordingly, the present disclosure includes embodiments of a patient monitoring system including a gas reservoir filled with a sufficient quantity of compressed gas to inflate an inflatable cuff and a sensor to detect blood pressure data. The gas in the gas reservoir can inflate the inflatable cuff at a controlled rate, such as, for example, at an approximately constant rate. Manual and/or electronically controlled regulators and/or valves can be used to control the flow rate of the gas into and out of the inflatable cuff. In some embodiments, the regulators and/or valves can be electronically controlled using pulse-width modulation (PWM) schemes.

A patient monitor can also be included as part of the patient monitoring system. During inflation or deflation of the inflatable cuff, the patient monitor can receive the blood pressure data from the sensor and use the blood pressure data to determine output measurements responsive to the blood pressure of the wearer. The sensor can be a pressure sensor and can be used to detect pressure variations in the inflatable cuff due to inflation, deflation, and blood flow in an artery of the wearer. Alternatively, the sensor can be an auditory sensor or stethoscope. A caregiver can use the stethoscope or auditory sensor to determine blood pressure measurements without the use of the patient monitor.

In some embodiments, an on-off linear valve controls the flow of high pressure gas. The valve has a body, a cap and an actuator. The body has an input nozzle defining the input port. The cap has an output nozzle defining the output port. The actuator is disposed between the body and the cap. The actuator has an open position that allows gas flow from the input port to the output port and a closed position that prevents gas flow from the input port to the output port. The actuator has a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire loop in communication with an electrical plug. The SMA wire loop contracts and expands in response to current applied to the electrical contacts so as to move the actuator between the closed position and the open position.

In an embodiment, the on-off linear valve actuator has a plunger, a seal, a spring and an SMA wire loop. The plunger has a seal end and a spring end. A seal is disposed at the seal end and is configured to press against a seat disposed in the body proximate the input port. The seal prevents gas flow through the input port in the valve closed position. A spring is disposed at the spring end so as to bias the seal against the seat. The SMA wire loop has a closed end strung through the plunger and open ends fixedly secured proximate the cap. The SMA wire loop pulls the actuator against the force of the spring when current flows through the electrical contacts so as to move the seal away from the seat as the actuator moves from the closed position to the open position.

In various other embodiments, the on-off linear valve plunger has a cylindrical piston and semi-cylindrical rails disposed around the walls of the piston. The body has a generally elongated hollow shell with a closed first end defining the input nozzle and a generally open second end that receives the cap. A generally square cross-sectioned exterior defines body edges, and a fluted interior accommodates the actuator. In particular, the fluted interior has semi-cylindrical grooves proximate the shell edges and partially-cylindrical grooves proximate the shell sides. The semi-cylindrical grooves receive the plunger rails which slidably fit within the grooves. The partially-cylindrical grooves receive the relatively smaller-diameter piston so as to define gas channels that accommodate gas flow between the input port of the body and the output port of the end cap. This gas flow initiates when the seal is pulled away from the seal seat by the SMA wire in opposition to the spring during valve actuation.

In some embodiments, a pressure sensor is responsive to a predetermined gas pressure threshold so as to create a conductive path across sensor contacts. The pressure sensor includes a sensor housing and a chamber defined within the housing. A nozzle extends externally from the sensor housing, and an nozzle aperture is defined within the nozzle and extends to the chamber. Electrical contacts are partially disposed within the chamber and extend from the chamber to a terminus external to the housing. A flexible conductive element is disposed within the chamber proximate the contacts. The conductive element is responsive to gas pressure exerted at the nozzle and translated into the chamber via the nozzle aperture so as to cause the conductive element to bridge the electrical contacts. The electrical contacts are configured to conduct current when bridged by the conductive element so as to indicate a gas pressure threshold at the nozzle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are illustrated and described by example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings, similar elements have similar reference numerals.

FIG. 1A is an exemplary block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a patient monitoring system;

FIG. 1B is an exemplary block diagram illustrating an embodiment of gas pathways between different components of the patient monitoring system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary system diagram illustrating an embodiment of the patient monitoring system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A-3G illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a patient monitoring system configured to be worn by a user;

FIGS. 3H-3J are perspective views of an embodiment of the gas reservoir assembly.

FIGS. 4A-4C are plot diagrams illustrating embodiments of pressure variations of an inflatable cuff associated with a wearer during blood pressure measurement; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B are flow diagrams illustrating embodiments of a process implemented by a patient monitor for measuring the blood pressure of a wearer.

FIG. 6A is a flow diagram illustrating another embodiment of a process implemented by the patient monitor for measuring blood pressure of a wearer.

FIG. 6B is a flow diagram illustrating yet another embodiment of a process implemented by the patient monitor for measuring blood pressure of a wearer.

FIG. 7A is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process implemented by the patient monitor for filtering the blood pressure data and determining blood pressure.

FIG. 7B is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process 750 implemented by the patient monitor 206 for determining an end of inflation point for the blood pressure cuff.

FIGS. 8A-D are input-port/pin-side, input-port/stub-side, output-port/stub-side and output-port/pin-side perspective views, respectively, of an on-off linear valve;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of an on-off linear valve;

FIG. 10 is a exploded perspective view of an on-off linear valve actuator;

FIGS. 11A-G are top, perspective, side, port end, open end, side cross-section and open-end cross-section views, respectively, of an on-off linear valve body;

FIGS. 12A-E are top, perspective, side, insert end, and output-port end views, respectively, of an on-off linear valve cap;

FIGS. 13A-E are top, perspective, side, seal end and spring end views, respectively, of an on-off linear valve plunger;

FIGS. 14A-E are top, perspective, side, wire-end and plug-end views, respectively, of a lock pin; and

FIGS. 15A-F are top, front, back, side, front-perspective and back perspective views, respectively, of a high pressure port seal.

FIGS. 16A-B are cutaway side views of a pressure sensor in a normally open position and a closed position, respectively;

FIGS. 17A-F are front and back perspective views, and top, front, side and back views, respectively, of a pressure sensor embodiment;

FIGS. 18A-B are top and bottom partial exploded views, respectively, of a pressure sensor embodiment;

FIGS. 19A-D are top, side, bottom and top perspective views, respectively, of a contact housing;

FIGS. 20A-F are top, front, left, back, top perspective and bottom views, respectively, of a nozzle housing;

FIGS. 21A-C are top, side and perspective views, respectively, of a conductive disk; and

FIGS. 22A-D are top, perspective, side and front views, respectively, of an electrical contact pin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A patient monitoring system advantageously includes a gas reservoir filled with sufficient quantities of compressed gas to inflate an inflatable cuff. The gas reservoir provides several advantages to the blood pressuring monitoring system, including portability, reusability, disposability, reduction in auditory noise and electrical noise, and the ability to measure blood pressure during inflation of the blood pressure cuff.

In an embodiment, the gas reservoir of the patient monitoring system inflates the inflatable cuff at an approximately constant rate with less auditory noise. By providing a quieter environment, the patient monitoring system is capable of taking blood pressure measurements without significantly disturbing the wearer. In addition, the use of the gas reservoir can significantly reduce the amount of potentially interfering electrical noise on electrical signals from one or more sensors. Furthermore, the addition of the gas reservoir allows the patient monitor to take blood pressure measurements during inflation of the inflatable cuff.

Measuring blood pressure during inflation can reduce the time required for blood pressure measurements and the amount of pressure used. In some embodiments, the patient monitoring system can measure blood pressure in 15-20 seconds or less. Furthermore, measuring blood pressure during inflation can reduce or eliminate the need to occlude a wearer's artery.

In addition, the gas reservoir of the present disclosure can be manufactured as a smaller portable patient monitor. The gas reservoir can eliminate the need for a pump and/or motor in the portable patient monitor, thereby reducing its size. In an embodiment, the gas in the gas reservoir can be used to generate electricity for the portable patient monitor, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for a battery and further reducing the size of the portable patient monitor.

In addition to the foregoing, other embodiments of the present disclosure include patient monitoring systems with canister inflation and one or more backup inflation systems. For example, in an embodiment, when the patient monitor is for whatever reason without sufficient gas to make a reliable, accurate blood pressure measurement, a motor and pump and/or inflation bulb may advantageously be used in place of the canister. In an embodiment, the foregoing backup inflation system(s) is part of the patient monitoring system and is activated when gas from the gas canister is unavailable, unwanted, insufficient, or the like. For example, in an embodiment, a user may designate which inflation system they would prefer based on, for example, proximity to power, battery use desires, gas use management, portability, emergency, surgical, other critical monitoring environments, or the like. In still further additional embodiments, the forgoing backup inflation system(s) are separate systems that connect to the monitor in place of the canister.

In an embodiment, measurements by a patient monitoring system of the present disclosure may be controlled through applications or software executing on one or more computing devices, such as a smart phone, tablet computer, portable digital devices of all types, or other computing devices or systems or combinations of the same. In an embodiment, the computing device may include modules governing the measurement frequency during periodic measurements. In an embodiment, the applications or software may include exercise related software configured to use blood pressure measurements to enhance feedback to users on a performance of the exercise, such as, for example, calories spent, heart rate trending or the like. Additionally, inputs may include type of exercise, user demographics like height, sex, age, weight or the like. Based on the inputs, the portable digital device can provide exercise recommendations, such as walking, running, cycling or other physical activities.

In still additional embodiments of the disclosure, the patient monitoring system may communicate with electronics of the canister for quality control to ensure it is an authorized canister, for canister characteristics information, such as type, pressure, size, manufacturer, or the like. Simultaneously, the monitor may communicate with electronics of the cuff and or sensors.

In additional embodiments of the disclosure, a patient monitoring system may connect to a gas supply supplied at a premises. For example, a hospital or other caregiver environment may have pressurized gas available from connection in a room, group of rooms, beds, instruments, or the like and straightforward connection of the monitor to the gas supply may supplement or replace the canister.

In yet another embodiment, a display of a patient monitoring system may present measurement data in a manner that reduces a need for translation when used by speakers of different languages. For example, the display may include icons, numbers, colors, analog style digital gauge icons, such as a dial, gas bar or the like, audible and/or visual alarms, combinations of the same or the like to convey measurement information to a user or caregiver.

In still further embodiments, the monitor may be entirely portable and configured to mount to an arm, wrist, waist or belt harness, carried in a pocket of the like.

Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are illustrated and described by example only, and are not intended to be limiting.

Patient Monitoring System

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a patient monitoring system 100 for measuring blood pressure of a wearer, which may also be referred to as taking blood pressure measurements, using an inflatable cuff 104. The patient monitoring system 100 can be used to measure the blood pressure of a wearer during inflation, deflation or both. In an embodiment, the patient monitoring system 100 includes a gas reservoir 102, the inflatable cuff 104 and a patient monitor 106.

The gas reservoir 102 houses compressed gas and is operatively connected to the inflatable cuff 104 via a gas pathway. In an embodiment, a regulator 103 is in the gas pathway between the inflatable cuff 104 and reservoir 102. In an embodiment, the regulator 103 provides a desired pressure or flow in the cuff-side so long as there is sufficient pressure on the reservoir side. Thus, gas flows from the gas reservoir 102, through the regulator 103 to the bladder of the inflatable cuff 104. In one embodiment, the gas pathway is an airtight pathway constructed of any number of materials including, but not limited to, metal, plastic, cloth, combinations of the same or some other airtight material.

The gas reservoir 102 can be implemented using one or more disposable or reusable gas tanks, cylinders, bottles, canisters, or cartridges, of any number of shapes or sizes, and can be located in the same room as the wearer, or can be remotely located from the wearer, such as in a different room or even in a different building. For example, the gas reservoir 102 can include a large gas tank that remains in a stationary location. The gas reservoir 102 can be large enough to contain sufficient gas for a large number of blood pressure readings (e.g. more than 100). Furthermore, the gas reservoir 102 can store compressed gas at any number of PSI levels. For example, the gas reservoir can store compressed gas up to about 6000 PSI or more, depending on the safety conditions of the environment. Furthermore, the gas tank can be configured to supply gas to multiple inflatable cuffs 104, thereby limiting the number of gas tanks used for multiple wearers. When the pressure levels in the gas tank reach a threshold, the gas tank can either be refilled, replaced or a combination of both. For example a rotating cache of gas tanks can be used as the gas reservoir 102.

Alternatively, the gas reservoir 102 can be implemented using a small gas tank of any number of sizes. For example, the gas reservoir 102 can be implemented using a gas tank that is small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, such as a carbon dioxide (CO₂) cartridges similar to or the same as those used for paint ball guns, tire inflation, or the like, CO₂ cartridges are available from a number of different manufacturers and distributors, such as the AirSource 88 Gram Pre-filled Disposable CO₂ cartridge available from Crosman (Product Code: CRO-88-GRAM). The PSI levels for smaller gas tanks can also differ greatly and can store compressed gas up to about 2000 PSI or more. In one embodiment, the gas reservoir 102 is implemented using a gas tank of compressed gas at about 1000 PSI. The small gas reservoir 102 can be used where mobility is desired. For example, paramedics or first responders can carry a small gas reservoir 102 for measuring blood pressure of persons needing emergency medical care. Using the gas reservoir 102, the emergency personnel (or some other user) can measure the blood pressure of the wearer during inflation of the inflatable cuff, deflation, or a combination of the two. The measurements can be taken using a patient monitor 106, manually using a stethoscope, or other methods.

In one embodiment, a pressure regulator, or regulator 103, placed at an opening of the gas reservoir 102 controls whether gas can exit the gas reservoir and the amount of gas allowed to exit. In one embodiment, the regulator 103 is a valve. The regulator 103 can also be configured to control the rate at which gas flows to the inflatable cuff 104, as well as the pressure of the gas or PSI level. The regulator 103 can include a second regulator near the opening of the gas reservoir 102 or in the gas pathway to form a two-stage pressure regulator. Additional regulators can be added as desired. The regulator 103 and/or valve can be implemented using any number of different valves, such as a globe valve, butterfly valve, poppet valve, needle valve, etc., or any other type of valve capable of operating as a variable restriction to the gas flow. Furthermore, the regulator 103 can include a pressure gauge to identify the pressure levels of the gas exiting the gas reservoir 102 and/or in the gas pathway.

Using the regulator 103, the inflatable cuff 104 can be inflated at a controlled rate, such as, for example, an approximately constant rate or linear rate. By inflating the inflatable cuff at a controlled rate, the wearer's blood pressure can be measured during inflation and without occluding the artery. The regulator 103 can further include a wireless transmitter for communication with the patient monitor 106, which in turn may electronically control and/or monitor the flow of gas through the regulator 103. Alternatively, the regulator 103 can communicate with the patient monitor via wired communication. Additionally, the gas reservoir 102 can include a pressure gauge to monitor the remaining pressure and/or the amount of compressed gas remaining in the gas reservoir 102. The pressure gauge can communicate the pressure levels to the patient monitor 106 via wired or wireless communication, similar to the regulator 103. Once the pressure gauge indicates a threshold pressure level or gas level has been reached, the patient monitor 106 can indicate that the gas reservoir 102 should be replaced or refilled.

The gas reservoir 102 can contain any number of compressed gases to inflate the inflatable cuff 104. For example, the gas reservoir 102 can contain compressed air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, helium, hydrogen, etc. Any number of other gases can be used to inflate the inflatable cuff 104. Furthermore, the gas reservoir 102 may house enough gas to inflate the inflatable cuff 104 without the use of a motor or pump during the inflation. The gas reservoir 102 can be pre-filled with gas near the wearer or at a remote site away from the wearer. In one embodiment, the gas reservoir 102 is filled with gas prior to being associated with the inflatable cuff 104. Pre-filling the gas reservoir 102 prior to use can significantly reduce the ambient noise caused during inflation of the inflatable cuff 104. In addition, by using the gas reservoir 102, the electrical noise from a motor can be removed. The reduction in ambient and electrical noise and the approximately constant rate of inflation of the inflatable cuff 104 allows the patient monitor 106 to measure the wearer's blood pressure while the inflatable cuff 104 is inflating. In addition, the gas reservoir 102 can be used to quickly inflate the inflatable cuff 104 for blood pressure measurements taken during deflation of the inflatable cuff 104.

In some embodiments, multiple gas reservoirs 102 are included as part of the patient monitoring system 100. The multiple gas reservoirs 102 can be used for backup purposes or for different tasks. For example, a first gas reservoir 102 can be a large gas reservoir and can be used to supply gas to the inflatable cuff 104 when the user is stationary. A second optionally smaller gas reservoir 102 can also be provided. When the user moves away from the first gas reservoir 102, the first gas reservoir can be disconnected from the inflatable cuff 104 and the second gas reservoir 102 will supply the gas to the inflatable cuff 104. In certain embodiments, a pump may be connected to the inflatable cuff 104 and used when the user is stationary. When the user moves, the pump is disconnected and the gas reservoir 102 supplies the gas to the inflatable cuff 104.

In some embodiments the gas reservoir 102 includes an identifier that identifies the gas reservoir 102 to the patient monitor 106. The identifier can be implemented using one or more memory chips or RFIDS located on the gas reservoir and/or one or more circuit elements, such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, op-amps, etc. The identifier can include additional information regarding the gas reservoir 102, such as the type of gas reservoir, manufacturing date and/or location, storage capacity or amount of gas that the gas reservoir 102 can hold, the quantity of gas in the gas reservoir, PSI levels, usage data, expiration dates, product histories, etc.

The patient monitor 106 can use the identifier to determine whether to use the gas reservoir 102, whether the gas reservoir 102 is compatible with the patient monitor 106, or whether the reservoir 102 is from an authorized supplier. The identifier can be unique for each gas reservoir 106 or for a set of gas reservoirs 102. In some embodiments, the identifier indicates that the gas reservoir can be used with the patient monitor 106. In certain embodiments, only gas reservoirs 102 with a particular identifier are used with the patient monitor 106. Accordingly, gas reservoirs 102 that do not include the particular identifier can be rejected and/or ignored by the patient monitor 106. In an embodiment, an emergency use override may allow for measurements, or a specific number of measurements in an emergency situation, even when, for example, the identifier does not indicate an authorized supplier but is otherwise safe for use.

It is to be understood that other techniques exist for implementing the gas reservoir 102 without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. For example, the gas reservoir 102 can be implemented using the central gas line of a building, such as a hospital or other healthcare facility. Alternatively, the gas reservoir 102 can be implemented using a bulb, bladder, pump, or the like. In still further embodiments, the foregoing alternatives may serve as backup options if the reservoir 102 is empty or otherwise not functional.

The inflatable cuff 104 includes a bladder and fills with gas in a manner controlled by the patient monitor 106 or manually, and is used to at least partially obstruct the flow of blood through a wearer's artery in order to measure the wearer's blood pressure. The inflatable cuff 104 can be attached to a wearer's arm or other location, and can be inflated automatically (e.g., via intelligent cuff inflation) or manually to obtain blood pressure data. Blood pressure data can include any type of signal received from a sensor sufficiently responsive to blood pressure to provide an indicator thereof to a user. Blood pressure data can be in the form of pressure sensor data, auditory sensor data, and the like.

The inflatable cuff 104 can further include a wireless transmitter for wireless communication with the patient monitor 106. Alternatively, the inflatable cuff can include cables for sending and receiving information to and from the patient monitor 106. The inflatable cuff can receive gas from a gas reservoir 102 via a gas pathway. Furthermore, the inflatable cuff can include a release valve for releasing the gas stored in the inflatable cuff once inflated. The release valve can be actuated electronically by the patient monitor 106 or manually by a user. In some embodiments, the release valve can be used when the pressure in the inflatable cuff 104 reaches unsafe levels or when the inflatable cuff 104 has been inflated beyond a threshold period of time. In certain embodiments, the release valve can be actuated electronically using PWM signals. In some embodiments, the inflatable cuff 104 is a disposable cuff that can be discarded after a one or a few uses. In certain embodiments, the inflatable cuff 104 can be reused many times and cleaned or sterilized between uses.

A sensor 108 can be placed in close proximity to the inflatable cuff 104 to monitor the inflatable cuff 104 during inflation and deflation. Alternatively, the sensor 108 can be located in the patient monitor 106 along a gas pathway between the gas reservoir 102 and inflatable cuff 104, or at some other location where it is able to collect sufficient data for the patient monitor 106 to determine the blood pressure of the wearer.

The sensor 108 can be a pressure sensor or an auditory sensor. In one embodiment, the sensor 108 communicates signals responsive to the pressure in the inflatable cuff 104 to the patient monitor 106 via wired or wireless communication. The patient monitor uses the signal to determine a blood pressure measurement or change in blood pressure of the wearer. The patient monitor 106 can additionally use the pressure measurements to determine if the pressure in the inflatable cuff 104 is above a threshold or is at an unsafe level. If the pressure in the inflatable cuff 104 is above a threshold or is at an unsafe level, the patient monitor 106 can actuate an emergency release valve to deflate the inflatable cuff 104. In an embodiment where the sensor 108 is an auditory sensor, the sensor 108 can be used to detect Korotkoff sounds. In one embodiment, the sensor 108 comprises a stethoscope.

In an embodiment, the patient monitor 106 includes a display device 110, a user interface 112, and a microprocessor or microcontroller or combination thereof 114. The patient monitor 106 can further include a number of components implemented by the microprocessor 114 for filtering the blood pressure data received from the sensor 108 and determining the blood pressure of the wearer. The patient monitor 106 can be a dedicated device for determining blood pressure and other physiological parameters, a portable electronic device configured to execute a program or application that determines blood pressure and other physiological parameters, or can be part of a larger patient monitoring device, such as those devices described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/516,110, titled “Universal/Upgrading Pulse Oximeter” filed Mar. 1, 2000 (MASIMO.162C1); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/534,827, titled “Multi-Stream Data Collection System For Noninvasive Measurement Of Blood Constituents,” filed Aug. 3, 2009 (MLHUM.002A); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/497,523, titled “Contoured Protrusion For Improving Spectroscopic Measurement Of Blood Constituents,” filed Jul. 2, 2009 (MLHUM.007A); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/882,111, titled “Spot Check Monitor Credit System,” filed Sep. 14, 2010 (MLHUM.022A); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/308,461, titled “Handheld Processing Device Including Medical Applications For Minimally And Non Invasive Glucose Measurements,” filed Nov. 30, 2011 (MLHUM.039A) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/366,995, titled “Multiple Wavelength Sensor Equalization,” filed Mar. 1, 2006 (MLR.003A). Each of which is incorporated by reference herein.

In some embodiments, the patient monitor 106 is configured to communicate with the inflatable cuff 104 and/or the gas reservoir 102 via wired or wireless communication, such as LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, infra-red, Bluetooth, radio wave, cellular, or the like, using any number of communication protocols. The patient monitor 106 can further be configured to determine blood pressure measurements of a wearer when the inflatable cuff 104 is being inflated with gas from the gas reservoir 102, during deflation of the inflatable cuff 104, or a combination of both. The patient monitor 106 can use the microprocessor 114, the filtering component, and blood pressure monitoring component to determine the blood pressure measurements. The blood pressure measurements determined by the patient monitor 106 can be displayed on the display 110. In addition, the display 110 can display blood pressure data and filtered blood pressure data in the form of plots of the pressure of the inflatable cuff and plots of the pressure oscillations in the inflatable cuff 104 caused by blood flowing through an artery of the wearer. Furthermore, the patient monitor 102 can calculate and the display 110 can display additional physiological parameters, such as heart rate, perfusion, oxygen saturation, respiration rate, activity information, temperature, and the like, combinations thereof or the trend of any of the above.

The user interface 112 can be used to allow a user to operate the patient monitor 106 and obtain the blood pressure measurements and/or other physiological parameters. Furthermore, the user interface 112 can allow a user to set or change any number of configuration parameters. For example, using the user interface 112, a user can determine what is displayed on the display 110, such as the blood pressure measurements during inflation and/or deflation, additional physiological parameters, the pressure plots, and/or other physiological parameters, etc. Furthermore, the user interface 112 can allow a user to set what measurements of what parameters the patient monitor 106 should take. For example, the user can set the configuration parameters to take blood pressure measurements only during inflation or deflation. Alternatively, the user can use the user interface 112 to set the configuration parameters to take blood pressure measurements during inflation and deflation and then use both measurements to determine an appropriate blood pressure. In addition, using the user interface 112, the user can determine how often the patient monitor 106 takes blood pressure measurements, or other physiological parameter measurements. The user interface 112 can further be used for any other type of configuration parameters that can be set or changed by a user. In some embodiments, the user interface 112 is implemented as an application of a portable electronic device.

In some embodiments, the patient monitor 106 monitors the use of the gas reservoir. To monitor the use of the gas reservoir 102, the patient monitor can monitor the number of times that the gas reservoir 102 is used to fill the inflatable cuff 104, the amount of time that the gas reservoir 102 is supplying gas, current pressure levels within the gas reservoir 102, and the like.

The patient monitor 106 can store usage data of the gas reservoir 102 in a memory device located on or in the gas reservoir 102. In some embodiments, the memory device is the identifier discussed previously. In certain embodiments, the memory device is located in the patient monitor 106 or some other location, and a unique identifier of the gas reservoir 102 can be used to correlate a particular gas reservoir 102 with its usage data.

Each time the gas reservoir 102 is used to inflate the inflatable cuff 104, the patient monitor 106 can update the usage data. In some embodiments, the usage data reflects a total number of instances in which the gas reservoir has been used to inflate the cuff 104. In certain embodiments, the usage data reflects the amount of time that the gas reservoir 102 has been supplying gas and the rate at which the gas has been supplied. Further embodiments can use any combination of the embodiments described herein.

Using the number of times that the gas reservoir has been used to fill the inflatable cuff 104 and other data regarding the gas reservoir 102, the patient monitor 106 can determine when the gas reservoir 102 will run out of gas and/or the number of remaining uses. In certain embodiments, the patient monitor 106 uses the storage capacity of the gas reservoir 102 and the amount of gas used to fill the inflatable cuff 104 to determine the number of times the gas reservoir can be used to fill the inflatable cuff 104 before it should be replaced. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 106 calculates the total amount of time the gas reservoir 102 is able to output gas before it should be replaced based on the storage capacity and the rate of flow of the gas. The patient monitor 106 can also account for any change to the rate of flow. Additional methods can be used to calculate whether the gas reservoir 102 should be replaced. For example, a pressure sensor can be used to determine the pressure levels within the gas reservoir 102.

When the usage data indicates that the capacity of the gas reservoir 102 is about to be (or has been) met, the patient monitor 106 can alert a user that the gas reservoir 102 should be replaced. The patient monitor 106 can alert a user by sounding an alarm, flashing a light, sending an email, text message, fax, page, or the like to a user.

In an embodiment where many canisters may be in circulation with one or more monitors, the monitor may use a canister ID to track usages for different canisters, such as, for example, the identifier. In embodiments where each canister includes accessible memory storage, the usage information stored in such memory may be updated by the monitor or canister during use.

FIG. 1B illustrates a block diagram of gas pathways between different components of the patient monitoring system 100. As described previously, the patient monitoring system 100 can include a gas reservoir 102, an inflatable cuff 104, a patient monitor (not shown), a pressure sensor 108, a flow valve 120, an emergency shutoff 122, and gas pathways 124. The gas from the gas reservoir 102 travels via the gas pathways 124 and valve 120 to the inflatable cuff 104.

The flow valve 120 can direct the gas from the gas reservoir 102 to the cuff 104 or to an exit pathway. During deflation of the cuff 104, the flow valve can direct the gas from the cuff 104 to the exit pathway. In some embodiments, the flow valve is controlled using PWM signals. The pressure sensor 108 measures the pressure within the gas pathway as well as the changes in pressure due to the blood pressure of the wearer. The emergency shutoff 122 can be used to quickly deflate the cuff 104 as desired. The components illustrated in FIG. 1B can be located in different positions. For example, the pressure sensor 108 and emergency shutoff 122 can be located on or in the cuff 104.

FIG. 2 illustrates a patient monitoring system 200 similar to the patient monitoring system 100 of FIG. 1. Similar to the patient monitoring system 100 of FIG. 1, the patient monitoring system 200 of FIG. 2 includes a gas reservoir 202, an inflatable cuff 204, a patient monitor 206, and a sensor 226 a like gas pathway between the reservoir 202 and cuff 204. In addition, the patient monitoring system 200 includes the gas pathway having a number of gas pathway segments 210, 214, 218 and valves 212, 216, 222 facilitating the movement of gas throughout the system. The gas reservoir 202, the inflatable cuff 204, the patient monitor 206, the valve 216, and the sensor 226 can communicate using wired or wireless communication. Cables 228 can be used to facilitate communication between the various components of the patient monitoring system 200. The various components can be connected to each other or connected to a central location, such as the patient monitor 206. Alternatively, the cables 228 can be removed and the patient monitor 202 can communicate with the other components of the patient monitoring system via wireless communication.

As mentioned previously with reference to FIG. 1, the gas reservoir 202 can be implemented using one or more gas tanks of any number of different sizes. In addition, the gas reservoir 202 can be located in the same room as the wearer or can be located at a remote location, such as in a different room or different building from the wearer. In such an embodiment, the gas pathway runs from the wearer to the remote location where the gas reservoir 202 is located. In addition, the gas reservoir 202 can be filled with any number of different gases prior to use with the wearer 218. In other words, the gas reservoir 202 can be filled with gas prior to installation with the other components of the patient monitoring system 200. In one embodiment, the gas reservoir 202 is filled with a compressed gas.

Furthermore, in an embodiment, the gas from the gas reservoir 202 can be used to generate electricity for the patient monitoring system 200. A small turbine can be located near the opening of the gas reservoir 202, along the gas pathway, or near an opening of the inflatable cuff 204. As the gas flows by the turbine and into the inflatable cuff 202, the turbine rotates. The rotation of the turbine can be used to generate electricity for the patient monitoring system 200. The electricity can be fed to the patient monitor 206 so that the patient monitor 206 can process received signals and determine output measurements for the blood pressure of the wearer as the inflatable cuff inflates. Another turbine can be located near the release valve 224 of the inflatable cuff 204 or the gas pathway segment 220. When the release valve 224 of the inflatable cuff 204 is opened or the valve 216 is actuated, the exiting gas causes the turbine to rotate, thereby generating electricity. The generated electricity can be fed to the patient monitor 206, allowing the patient monitor to process received signals and determine output measurements for the blood pressure of the wearer as the inflatable cuff 204 deflates.

Using the gas reservoir 202 to inflate the inflatable cuff 204 can significantly reduce the ambient noise caused by the patient monitoring system, resulting in a quieter environment for the wearer. In addition, the gas reservoir 202 can supply gas at an approximately constant pressure and rate. Thus, the patient monitoring system 200 can inflate the inflatable cuff at an approximately constant rate without the auditory and electrical interfering noise of a motor or pump, resulting in a cleaner signal for the patient monitor 206. Furthermore, by using the gas reservoir 202, the patient monitor can measure the wearer's blood pressure during inflation of the inflatable cuff 204.

By measuring the blood pressure during inflation of the inflatable cuff, the patient monitoring system 200 can measure the blood pressure in less time and using less pressure. Furthermore, measuring blood pressure during inflation of the inflatable cuff can reduce, and in some embodiments completely remove, the amount of time that the artery is occluded, allowing for more frequent blood pressure readings and reduced discomfort for the patient.

The gas reservoir 202 is operatively connected with the inflatable cuff 204 via the regulator 208, gas pathway segments 210, 214, 218 and valves 212, 216. The gas pathway and gas pathway segments 210, 214, 218 can be made of any air-tight material, such as a plastic tube, metal, cloth, combinations or the like. Gas from the gas reservoir 202 flows through the gas pathway segments 210, 214, 218 to inflate the inflatable cuff 204. In an embodiment, the regulator 208, the gas pathway segments 210, 214, 218 and the valves 212, 216, 222 control the direction and rate of gas flow throughout the patient monitoring system 200. The regulator 208, which can also be a valve, located near the opening of the gas reservoir 202 controls the pressure of the gas exiting the gas reservoir 202 and along the gas pathway segment 210. The valve 212 controls the pressure of the gas exiting gas pathway segment 210 and along gas pathway segments 214, 218 to the inflatable cuff 204. The regulator 208 and valve 212 can be configured as a two-stage pressure regulator and used to maintain an approximately constant pressure of gas entering the inflatable cuff 204. The approximately constant pressure of gas may advantageously lead to an approximately constant rate of inflation of the inflatable cuff 204. The regulator 208 and valve 212 can be configured to maintain any number of pressure levels in the gas pathway segments 210, 214, 218. In one embodiment, the regulator 208 and valve 212 are configured to maintain a pressure of approximately 6 PSI (pounds per square inch) along the gas pathway segment 214 and gas pathway segment 218.

The valve 216 located along the gas pathway segments 210, 214, 218 can be used to control the direction of the gas flow throughout the patient monitoring system 200. In an “on” configuration, the valve 216 allows the gas to pass from the gas pathway segment 214 to the gas pathway segment 218 into the inflatable cuff 204. In an “off” configuration, the valve 216 closes the gas pathway between the gas reservoir 202 and the inflatable cuff 204 and opens a gas pathway from the inflatable cuff 204 and gas pathway segment 218 to the gas pathway segment 220 and through valve 222. The valve 216 can be actuated electronically using the patient monitor 206 or manually by a user. For safety, the default position for the valve 216 can be the “off” configuration. In this way, should there be any malfunctions, the inflatable cuff 204 can deflate. In an embodiment, the valve 216 is a three-way valve. The valve 216 can be implemented in a number of different ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the description.

The valve 222 is similar in most respects to the valve 212 and can control the rate at which gas is allowed to exit the inflatable cuff 204. The valves 212, 222 can be implemented as any number of different valves, such as globe valve, butterfly valves, poppet valves, needle valves, proportional valves, etc., or any other type of valve capable of operating as a variable restriction to the gas flow. Furthermore, the valves 212, 222 can be actuated manually by a user or electronically by the patient monitor 206.

A number of alternative embodiments exist for implementing the patient monitoring system 200 without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. For example, the valve 216 can be located in the inflatable cuff 204 or nearby. In addition, the valves 216, 222 can be removed completely. In this embodiment, the patient monitor 206 can actuate the regulator 208 and/or valve 212 to inflate the inflatable cuff 204. When the inflatable cuff 204 is to be deflated, the patient monitor 206 can actuate the regulator 208 and/or valve 212 a second time, as well as actuate the release valve 224. Alternatively, two valves can be used in place of the valve 216. One valve can be used to allow gas to flow from the gas reservoir to the inflatable cuff. The second valve can be used to release gas from the inflatable cuff. The two valves can be actuated independently or at the same time. Furthermore, the two valves can be actuated electronically using the patient monitor 206 or manually by a user.

In addition, the regulator 208 and valve 212 can be implemented using any number of different configurations. For example, regulator 208 and valve 212 can be implemented as two separate devices as shown or as one single device. Alternatively, the patient monitoring system 200 can be implemented using only the regulator 208 and/or the valve 212. In addition, the regulator 208 or any of the valves 212, 216, 222 can further include a pressure gauge to identify the pressure levels of the gas. In addition, the regulator 208 and each valve 212, 216, 222 can communicate with the patient monitor 206 via wired or wireless communication.

As mentioned previously, the inflatable cuff 204 is used to at least partially obstruct an artery of a wearer to measure the wearer's blood pressure. In an embodiment, the inflatable cuff 204 partially obstructs the wearer's artery without occluding, or completely closing, the artery to determine a blood pressure measurement of the wearer.

In one embodiment, the inflatable cuff 204 includes a bladder, a release valve 224 and an attachment mechanism. The bladder contains the gas received from the gas reservoir 202, via the gas pathway and can be made of any material capable of holding gas. For example, the bladder can be made of plastic, cloth, or some other airtight material. Furthermore, the bladder can be configured to hold gas at any number of PSI levels. In one embodiment, the bladder is capable of holding gas at about 4 PSI. However, it is to be understood that the bladder can hold gas at greater than or less than about 4 PSI. An opening in the bladder allows the gas from the gas reservoir to enter exit.

The attachment mechanism allows the inflatable cuff 204 to be attached to a wearer. The attachment mechanism can be made of hook and loop type fasteners, cloth, a clip, flexible materials, water wicking materials, or other material that allows the inflatable cuff 204 to attach to a wearer. The release valve 224 can be actuated manually by a user, electronically by the patient monitor 206, or automatically based on a predefined threshold pressure level. The release valve 224 can be used to release the gas from the inflatable cuff 204 when the pressure reaches a predetermined threshold or unsafe level, or when the inflatable cuff 204 has been inflated above a threshold pressure for a predetermined amount of time.

The sensor 226 can be located on the inside of the inflatable cuff 204, at the patient monitor 206, along the gas pathway segments 210, 214, 218 or along a separate gas pathway segment, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the sensor 226 can be located at the wearer's ear, wrist, finger, or other location. When obtaining blood pressure data from the finger, wrist, or ear less pressure is needed to identify the blood pressure of a wearer, which increases the amount of blood pressure measurements that can be taken by the gas reservoir 202. As mentioned previously, the sensor 226 can be used to collect blood pressure data from the wearer. In an embodiment, the sensor 226 is a pressure sensor capable of measuring the pressure of the inflatable cuff 204 as the inflatable cuff 204 inflates and/or deflates. In another embodiment, the sensor 226 is an auditory sensor used to identify Korotkoff sounds as the inflatable cuff 204 inflates and/or deflates. The cables 228 can be used to communicate the information from the sensor 226 to the patient monitor 206. Alternatively, the sensor 226 can use a wireless transmitter to communicate the blood pressure data to the patient monitor 206.

As mentioned previously, the patient monitor 206 includes a display 230 capable of displaying the diastolic and systolic pressure 232 of the wearer as determined by the patient monitor 206 during inflation and/or deflation. Furthermore, the patient monitor 206 can display the blood pressure measured during inflation and deflation, thereby allowing the user to compare the values. The display 230 of the patient monitor 206 can further be configured to display pressure plots, which can include plots of the blood pressure data 236A and filtered blood pressure data 236B. The plots of the blood pressure data 236A can include the pressure of the inflatable cuff 204 over time, and the plots of the filtered blood pressure data 236B can include the pressure oscillations observed by the sensor, as will be described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 3A-3C. In addition, the patient monitor 206 can be configured to display additional physiological parameters 234 as further illustrated on the display device 208. These physiological parameters can include, but are not limited to, heart rate, oxygen saturation, perfusion, glucose measurements, and the like. In addition, the patient monitor 206 can include configuration parameters to control the display 230, as well as the patient monitor 206. Using the configuration parameters, a user can initiate blood pressure measurements of the wearer 218 to control the patient monitor 206.

The patient monitor can also include a user interface for setting or changing the configuration parameters. The configuration parameters can be use to set the frequency and type of blood pressure measurements taken as well as the manner in which to display the measurements. In an embodiment, a periodic or other schedule can be set to obtain measurement; for example, times of day, duration between, or the like may be used to set measurement schedules. In other embodiments, the monitor may monitor other parameters, such for example, oxygen saturations, where a predetermined change in the other parameters triggers a blood pressure measurement.

The configuration parameters can determine how often a blood pressure measurement should be taken, whether it should be taken during inflation, deflation or both. Furthermore the configuration parameters can determine how the patient monitor calculates the blood pressure measurements, such as using the inflationary blood pressure measurements, the deflationary blood pressure measurements, arbitrating between the two, or using a combination such as any a statistical combination of the two or additional measurements like, for example, past measurements. Furthermore, the configuration parameters can determine how the blood pressure measurements should be displayed. For example, the configuration parameters can dictate that only inflationary blood pressure measurements, deflationary blood pressure measurements, the more reliable measurement, or combinations thereof are to be displayed. Furthermore, the configuration parameters can determine if and how the pressure plots, and other physiological parameters are to be displayed.

In addition, the patient monitor 206 can be configured to determine blood pressure measurements while the inflatable cuff 204 is inflating and without occluding the wearer's artery. The patient monitor 206 can be configured to actuate a valve connected to the gas reservoir 202, causing gas to flow from the gas reservoir 202 to the inflatable cuff 204. As the inflatable cuff 204 inflates, the patient monitor 206 can calculate the diastolic pressure and systolic pressure of the wearer 218 using any number of techniques, as described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. For example, the patient monitor 206 can calculate the diastolic pressure and systolic pressure by measuring oscillations of blood flow in an artery or auditory cues as the inflatable cuff 204 inflates and/or deflates. By measuring the wearer's blood pressure during inflation of the inflatable cuff, both the diastolic and systolic pressure can be determined by partially obstructing the wearer's artery and without occluding it. Once the systolic pressure is measured, the patient monitor can actuate the valve 216 or a release valve 224 on the inflatable cuff 204 to release the gas within the inflatable cuff 204.

FIGS. 3A-3G illustrate an embodiment of a patient monitoring system 300 configured to be worn by a user. FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the patient monitoring system 300. The patient monitoring system 300 includes a patient monitor 302, an inflatable cuff 304, and a chamber 306 to retain a gas reservoir 308. The inflatable cuff 304 and chamber 306 can be removably attached to the patient monitor 302. The patient monitor 302, chamber 306, and gas reservoir 308 will be described in greater detail below, with reference to FIGS. 3B-3G.

The inflatable cuff 304 is similar to the inflatable cuffs described in greater detail above, with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the inflatable cuff 304 includes an arm band and can be wrapped around an arm of a user. The inflatable cuff 304 can include one or more attachment surfaces 326A, 326B to maintain the inflatable cuff 304 in a relatively fixed position around the arm of the user. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment surfaces 326A, 326B are located on either side of the patient monitor 302. In some embodiments, the attachment surfaces 326A, 326B are located on one side of the patient monitor 302, or there is only one attachment surface. The attachment surfaces 326A, 326B can be made from a variety of different materials, such as, but not limited to, hook and loop type fasteners, buttons, snaps, hooks, latches, tape, or other device capable of maintaining the inflatable cuff 304 in a substantially fixed position about the user.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 3A, the patient monitoring system 300 can further include one or more sensors capable of detecting one or more physiological parameters of the user. The sensors can communicate with the patient monitor 302 via wired or wireless communication using a variety of protocols, including, but not limited to, TCP/IP, Bluetooth, ANT, ANT+, USB, Firewire, etc. For example, the patient monitoring system 300 can include one or more pressure sensors, auditory sensors, pulse oximetry sensors, thermometers, accelerometers, and/or gyroscopes. The physiological parameters detected by the various sensors can include, but are not limited to, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, perfusion, respiration, activity rate, etc. One or more of the sensors can be located within the inflatable cuff 304 or elsewhere on the user. For example, an auditory sensor can be located on the chest of the user to collect respiration data about the user. Another auditory sensor can be located within the inflatable cuff 304 to collect blood pressure data.

FIG. 3B is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the patient monitor 302 and the chamber 306. In the illustrated embodiment, the patient monitor 302 includes a display 310, a communications link indicator 312, and user interface objects 314, 316. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 302 can further include a power monitor that determines the amount of power remaining for use by the patient monitor 302. When the patient monitor is battery-operated, the power monitor can determine the amount of time or the number of blood pressure measurements that remain before the batteries are to be replaced or recharged.

The patient monitor 302 can be a device dedicated to the measurement of physiological parameters or can be a portable electronic device configured to measure physiological parameters. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 302 is a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or the like, running a program or application configured to calculate physiological parameters based on signals received from the sensors.

The patient monitor 302 receives data from one or more sensors and processes the data to extract physiological parameters of the user. For example, the patient monitor 302 can receive data from a pressure and/or auditory sensor and calculate the patient's blood pressure. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 302 uses accelerometer and gyroscope data to calculate an activity level of the user.

The patient monitor 302 can also provide activity recommendations based on the physiological parameters of the user. For example, the patient monitor can use the patient's height, weight, age, sex, blood pressure readings, heart rate, etc., to recommend a physical activity such as walking, running, or cycling. Furthermore, during an activity the patient monitor 302 can provide recommendations as to whether the patient should increase or decrease their activity levels.

The display 310 is an embodiment of the display 110 described above with reference to FIG. 1A. The display 310 can be implemented using a touch screen, LCD screen, LED screen, or other type of screen and can be used to display one or more physiological parameters, plot diagrams, or user interface information, etc. The display 310 can be any number of different sizes, and in some embodiments, covers a majority of one side of the patient monitor 302. In the illustrated embodiment, the display 310 displays heart rate data 318, blood pressure data 320, 322, and a health indicator 324. However, additional physiological parameters can be displayed, such as, but not limited to, temperature, respiration data, perfusion index data, plethysmograph data, metabolism data, such as calories/hour, etc.

The health indicator 324 can be based on the heart rate data 318, blood pressure data 320, 322, other physiological parameters, or any combination thereof, and can indicate an overall well being of a user. For example, if the patient monitor 302 determines that the blood pressure data 320, 322 is normal, an arrow can point to the middle of the health indicator 324 or the health indicator 324 can be green, etc. If the patient monitor 302 determines that the blood pressure data 320, 322 is high or low, the arrow can point to the top or bottom health or the health indicator 324 can be red or blue, etc. Similarly, other physiological parameters or a combination of physiological parameters can be used by the health indicator 324.

The communication link indicator 312 can be used to indicate whether a communication link is established with one or more devices, such as the sensors, a computer, a portable electronic device, etc. The communication link indicator 312 can change colors or blink depending on the status of the communication link. For example, the communication link indicator 312 can blink during initialization, can turn green once connected, and turn red when a signal is lost or is below a threshold level.

The user interface objects 314, 316 can be implemented using hardware or software. For example, the user interface objects 314, 316 can be buttons or keys, form part of the display 310, or any combination thereof. The user interface objects 314, 316 can be used to interface with the patient monitor 302. For example, the user interface object 314 can be used to select one or more options from the patient monitor 302, such as which physiological parameters to display, how to display the physiological parameters, toggle between which sensors to use, view historical physiological parameter data, etc. In addition, the user interface objects 314, 316 can be used to determine the frequency with which blood pressure measurements should be taken. For example, using the user interface objects 314, 316 the patient monitor 302 can be configured to automatically take blood pressure measurements sequentially as determined by a user, or can be configured to take only one blood pressure measurement before requiring additional input from the user. For example, in some embodiments, by pushing or holding down a user interface object, the patient monitor 302 will automatically toggle between a single measurement mode and a sequential measurement mode. Furthermore, the user interface objects 316 can be used to scroll through one or more options displayed on the display 310. Other user interface objects can be used as desired.

With continued reference to FIG. 3B, the chamber 306 can be in physical contact with the patient monitor 302. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 302 fits into a pre-formed case, which also contains the chamber 306. In certain embodiments, the patient monitor 302 includes attachment mechanisms to connect with the chamber 306. The attachment mechanisms can include, but are not limited to, clips, screws, screw holes, bars, snaps, buttons, and the like. The gas reservoir 308 fits into the chamber 308 as illustrated and as will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 3C. Furthermore, the chamber 306 can be adjusted to fit different sized gas reservoirs 308.

FIG. 3C is a back perspective view of the patient monitor 302 and chamber 306. The illustrated embodiment further includes a gas reservoir interface 307 as part of the chamber 306. The gas reservoir interface 307 interacts with the gas reservoir 308 to maintain the gas reservoir within the chamber 306. The gas reservoir interface 307 can include a locking mechanism that prevents the use of unapproved or unauthorized gas reservoirs 208. The locking mechanism can be a mechanical or electronic locking mechanism.

A mechanical locking mechanism can include many forms, such as threads, a clamp, lock and key designs, etc. For example, in some embodiments, the gas reservoir interface 307 can includes threads that complement threads of the gas reservoir 308. Accordingly, the gas reservoir 308 can be screwed into the chamber 306 using the gas reservoir interface 307. In some embodiments, gas reservoirs 308 that include a different number of threads, a different design of threads, or that do not include threads will not properly interface with the gas reservoir interface 307. In certain embodiments, a clamp can act as the locking mechanism to keep the gas reservoir 308 in place. In certain embodiments, the mechanical locking mechanism can be in the form of a proprietary connector. The gas reservoir interface 307 can include a particular physical layout that is uniquely designed to interface with approved or authorized gas reservoirs 308, similar to a lock and key design.

The locking mechanism can also be implemented as an electronic locking mechanism. The electronic locking mechanism of the gas reservoir interface 307 can include an electronic interface that allows the patient monitor 302 to communicate with the gas reservoir 308. The electronic interface can include a memory chip, processor, RFID, resistor, or other circuit elements that can interface with electronics on the gas reservoir 308. Authorized or approved gas reservoirs 308 can include the circuit elements that can unlock the electronic locking mechanism of the gas reservoir interface 307 and allow the gas reservoir 308 to be used with the patient monitor 302.

The illustrated embodiment also includes an interface 330 attached to the patient monitor 302 and used to maintain the patient monitor 302 in close proximity to the inflatable cuff 304. The recess 332 of interface 330 can complement a portion of the cuff 304 to lock the patient monitor 302 in place with the cuff 304. Screws 334 can be used to maintain the interface 330 attached to the patient monitor 302.

FIGS. 3D and 3E are side perspective views of the patient monitor 302 and chamber 308. FIGS. 3F and 3G are top and bottom perspectives of the patient monitor and chamber 308, respectively. With reference to FIG. 3G, the patient monitor 302 can include an electronic interface 336, such as a USB or mini-USB port. The electronic interface 336 can be used to communicate with another electronic device, such as a computer or portable electronic device. FIG. 3G further illustrates that the chamber 306 can be rotated forwards and backwards as desired. For example, the chamber 306 can be physically attached to the patient monitor 302 via a pivot that allows the chamber 306 to swing about one or more axes. The pivot can be implemented using a hinge, ball-and-socket joint, link, pin, spring, swivel, bolt, and the like. The pivot can also include a locking mechanism that can lock the chamber 306 in a certain position with respect to the patient monitor 302. The locking mechanism can be implemented using a clamp, ratchet, pin, grooves within a link, pin, spring, or bolt, and the like. In this way, the chamber 306 can be rotated to a preferred position and then locked in place for use. For example, a user can adjust the chamber 306 so that it fits snugly against their arm, or other limb, and then lock the chamber in that position so that it stays in its position when the user moves.

FIGS. 3H-3J are perspective views of an embodiment of the gas reservoir assembly 305. In the illustrated embodiment, the gas reservoir assembly 305 interfaces with the gas reservoir 308 and includes the chamber 306, a chamber cover 309, and a valve 311. Each component of the gas reservoir assembly 305 can be made of plastic, metal, or a combination thereof.

The valve 311 and the chamber 306 can each include complementary threads that allow the two components to be coupled together. In some embodiments, the valve 311 and the chamber 306 can be pressed together or use some other mechanical locking mechanism to be coupled together. The chamber 306 and chamber cover 309 can be coupled or hinged via a dowel pin 315 that is placed through hollowed portions of the chamber 306 and the chamber cover 309. The chamber 306 and chamber cover can further interface via a spring pin 317 and a ball bearing 319. The spring pin 317 can be placed through hollowed portions of the chamber cover 309 and a center of the ball bearing 319, as illustrated in FIG. 3J. As further illustrated in FIG. 3J, an inner surface 321 of the chamber cover 308 can be grooved to be form fitted with the spherical gas reservoir 308. Although illustrated as being rounded, it will be understood that the inner portion 321 of the chamber cover 309 can be any shape to interface with the gas reservoir 308.

When opened, the chamber cover 309 provides space for a user to insert the gas reservoir 308 into the chamber 306. Once closed, the chamber cover 309 and/or ball bearing 319 exert a force on the gas reservoir 308, which causes the gas reservoir 308 to be pushed into and engage the valve 311. Although not seen, a valve interface at the bottom portion of the valve 311 interfaces with the upper portion, or seal, of the gas reservoir 308. The valve interface can be hollow and relatively pointed or sharpened. Accordingly, when a sufficient force is exerted against the gas reservoir 308, the seal of the gas reservoir is broken by the valve interface, allowing the gas from the gas reservoir 308 to move freely through the gas pathway 313 of the valve 311. The valve 311 can further interface with the patient monitor 302 and the inflatable cuff 304 to inflate the inflatable cuff 304.

In addition, when closed, the chamber cover 309 can interact with the chamber 306 so that it remains closed. For example, a clasp, hook, magnet or other mechanism can interlock the chamber cover 309 with the chamber 306 to prevent the chamber cover 309 from opening during use.

FIGS. 4A-4C are plot diagrams illustrating embodiments of various plots that can be displayed by the display 230, 310 described previously. The plots in FIGS. 4A-4C are plot diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the pressure at the inflatable cuff 204, including the oscillations of pressure, observed by the sensor 226 during inflation and deflation.

Plot 401A is a plot diagram illustrating an embodiment of the pressure of the inflatable cuff 204 during inflation and deflation, which can also be referred to as blood pressure data. The x-axis of plot 401A represents the number of samples taken by the patient monitor 206 over time. The patient monitor 206 can be configured to take samples at any number of increments to achieve a desired data resolution. For example, the patient monitor 206 can sample the inflatable cuff every second, millisecond, microsecond, etc. Although illustrated in increments of samples, time can also be used for the x-axis 402. The y-axis 404A of plot 401A represents the pressure level, in mmHg, of the inflatable cuff 204. The line 412 represents the pressure level of the inflatable cuff 204 over time.

Prior to point 408, signals on the line 412 represent electronic noise caused by the environment or the patient monitoring system 200. At point 408, the valve 216 is actuated. The valve 216 can be actuated electronically by the patient monitor 206 or manually by a user. Once actuated, gas from the gas reservoir 202 begins to inflate the inflatable cuff 204 at a rate determined by a user electronically using the patient monitor 206 or manually using the regulator 208 and/or valve 212. In one embodiment, the inflation rate is an approximately constant rate, which leads to an approximately constant increase in pressure in the inflatable cuff. The sensor 226 reads the rise in pressure in the inflatable cuff 204, as indicated by the rise in line 412 of the plot 401A. Thus, from point 408 to point 410, the inflatable cuff is in an inflation mode and is inflating.

At point 410, the valve 216 is actuated again, ending the inflation of the inflatable cuff 204. Although illustrated at 200 mmHg, the point 410 can be located at any desired pressure level. In one embodiment, the 216 valve is actuated when the measured pressure level within the inflatable cuff 204 is greater than the expected systolic pressure of the wearer. The expected systolic pressure of the wearer can be determined by previous blood pressure measurements, historical information, clinical data from one or more wearers, or the like. In one embodiment, the point 410 changes between blood pressure measurements. For example, the inflatable cuff can be configured to inflate to 200 mmHg for the first measurement. If it is determined during the first measurement that the wearer's systolic pressure is measurably less than 200, then during the proximate measurement, the inflatable cuff 204 can be inflated to a lower pressure. Varying the pressure level to which the inflatable cuff 204 inflates can conserve gas. Likewise, if the wearer's measured systolic pressure is greater than the expected systolic pressure, the inflatable cuff 204 can be inflated to a greater pressure during the proximate measurement. Alternatively, the valve 216 can be actuated once the inflatable cuff 204 reaches any desired or predefined pressure level, such as 160 mmHg, 200 mmHg, 400 mmHg, etc.

In some embodiments, in addition to ending the inflation of the inflatable cuff, actuating the valve 216 also begins a deflation mode of the inflatable cuff. For example, actuating the valve 216 can close the gas pathway between the gas reservoir 202 and the inflatable cuff 204 and open the gas pathway between the inflatable cuff 204 and ambient air, allowing the gas to exit the inflatable cuff 204. Once the valve 216 is actuated, the inflatable cuff 204 deflates leading to a decrease in pressure within the inflatable cuff 204. Actuating the valve 216, as well as the valve 222 can be configured so that the pressure within the inflatable cuff 204 decreases at any desired rate. In one embodiment, the pressure within the inflatable cuff 204 decreases at an approximately constant rate. Additional blood pressure measurements can be taken during the deflation of the inflatable cuff 204, as described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

The patient monitor 206 can calculate the blood pressure of the wearer at any time during inflation and/or deflation, once it has received sufficient blood pressure data. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 206 can calculate the diastolic pressure followed by the systolic pressure during inflation of the inflatable cuff 204. In certain embodiments, the patient monitor can calculate both diastolic and systolic pressure simultaneously once the valve 216 is actuated or during inflation, once the patient monitor 206 has sufficient blood pressure data. The patient monitor 206 can alternatively wait until additional measurements are taken during the deflation of the inflatable cuff 204 before calculating the diastolic and systolic pressure. In this way, the patient monitor can compare or arbitrate the diastolic and systolic measurements during inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff 204 to achieve greater reliability in the measurements.

With continued reference to FIG. 4A, the plot 401B is a plot diagram illustrating an embodiment of the change in pressure in the inflatable cuff 204 due to blood flow in the artery during inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff 204. In one embodiment, the line 414 is obtained by filtering the plot 401A and normalizing the data based on the change in pressure due to the inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff 204 and can be referred to as filtered blood pressure data. The plot 401B of the pressure oscillations due to the blood flow in the artery of the wearer, or filtered blood pressure data, can be displayed on the display 230, 310 along with the plot 401A, the blood pressure readings, and/or other physiological parameters. Similar to plot 401A, the x-axis 402 of plot 401B represents the number of samples taken by the patient monitor 206 over time. The y-axis 404B of plot 401B represents normalized changes in pressure in the inflatable cuff 204.

As illustrated in the plot 401B, when the valve 216 is actuated at point 408, the inflatable cuff 204 inflates and exerts pressure against the wearer's artery. As the inflatable cuff 204 exerts pressure against the wearer's artery, the sensor 226 is able to detect the variations in pressure in the inflatable cuff 204 due to blood flow within the artery, which are also referred to as pressure variations or pressure oscillations. The pressure oscillations are illustrated in plot 401A as small deviations or bumps in the line 412.

As further illustrated by the plot 401B, as the inflatable cuff 204 continues to inflate, the artery becomes increasingly obstructed, leading to greater pressure variations observed by the pressure sensor, which leads to greater oscillations in the line 414. With continued inflation of the inflatable cuff, the variations in pressure eventually begin to decrease as the blood flow becomes occluded. At point 410, the pressure exerted by the inflatable cuff completely occludes the artery. As mentioned previously, in one embodiment, once the artery is occluded, the valve 216 is actuated allowing the gas to exit the inflatable cuff 204 and the inflatable cuff 204 to deflate. In another embodiment, the valve 216 is actuated prior to the occlusion of the artery.

As further illustrated by the plot 401, as the inflatable cuff 204 begins to deflate, the oscillations of the pressure observed by the pressure sensor 226 again begin to increase significantly as blood flow in the artery increases. As the inflatable cuff 204 further deflates, the pressure exerted on the artery decreases leading to a decrease in pressure variation observed by the pressure sensor 226. Eventually, the inflatable cuff 204 exerts little to no pressure on the artery, and the blood flow in the artery has little to no effect on the pressure in the inflatable cuff 226. The patient monitor 206 uses the characteristics of the oscillations of pressure due to blood flow through an artery of the wearer, such as the slope of the oscillations and/or the magnitude or amplitude of the oscillations, to determine the blood pressure. The patient monitor 206 can use the blood pressure data obtained during inflation and/or deflation of the inflatable cuff to determine the blood pressure.

In one embodiment, to determine the blood pressure during inflation, the patient monitor identifies the pressure in the inflatable cuff at which the largest magnitude oscillation, also referred to as the maximum deflection point or largest amplitude oscillation, during inflation is detected. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure monitor identifies the largest magnitude oscillation at point 430. The pressure in the inflatable cuff at which the largest magnitude oscillation during inflation is detected approximately coincides with the systolic blood pressure of the wearer. In one embodiment, the patient monitor also identifies the pressure in the inflatable cuff at which the largest slope in the oscillations prior to the largest magnitude oscillation during inflation is detected. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure monitor identifies the largest slope in the oscillations prior to the largest magnitude oscillation at point 432. The largest slope in the oscillations prior to the largest magnitude oscillation during inflation approximately coincides with the diastolic pressure of the wearer.

In addition, the patient monitor can determine the blood pressure of the wearer during deflation. In one embodiment, to determine the blood pressure during deflation, the patient monitor identifies the largest magnitude oscillation during deflation (point 434 in the illustrated embodiment). The patient monitor further identifies the pressure in the inflatable cuff at which the largest slope in the oscillations prior to the largest magnitude oscillation during deflation is detected (point 436 in the illustrated embodiment). The largest slope in the oscillations prior to the largest magnitude oscillation during deflation approximately coincides with the systolic pressure of the wearer. The patient monitor also identifies the pressure in the inflatable cuff at which the largest slope in the oscillations after the largest magnitude oscillation during deflation (point 436 in the illustrated embodiment). The largest slope in the oscillations after the largest magnitude oscillation during approximately deflation coincides with the diastolic pressure of the wearer.

A number of alternate methods exist for determining blood pressure during inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff. For example, during deflation the patient monitor can calculate the systolic blood pressure as the pressure at which the oscillations become detectable and the diastolic pressure as the pressure at which the oscillations are no longer detectable. Alternatively, the patient monitor can calculate the mean arterial pressure first (the pressure on the cuff at which the oscillations have the maximum amplitude). The patient monitor can then calculate the diastolic and systolic pressures based on their relationship with the mean arterial pressure. Additional methods can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. For example, pressure values at locations other than the largest magnitude oscillation or maximum deflection point and largest slope can also be used.

Plots 401A and 401B further illustrate the potentially adverse effect signal noise can have on the blood pressure measurements. As illustrated, signal noise is detected at least twice in line 414 prior to inflation. The detected signal noise in at least one instance exceeds the maximum deflection point during inflation. In addition, the signal noise may also contain the largest slope prior to the maximum deflection. In either event, if the signal noise is not accounted for, the patient monitor 206 is in danger of calculating diastolic and systolic pressures of the wearer at points other than during inflation or deflation. In some embodiments, based on the amount and magnitude of signal noise detected, the patient monitor can assign confidence levels to the blood pressure measurements. Based on line 414, the patient monitor 206 can place a lower confidence level in the blood pressure measurement during inflation due to the observed signal noise.

As mentioned above, the plots 401A, 401B can both be displayed on the display 230, 310 of the patient monitor 206, 302. The plots 401A, 401B can be displayed simultaneously or consecutively. In addition the plots 401A, 401B can be displayed along with the diastolic pressure and systolic pressure as measured by the patient monitor 206. Furthermore, the measured diastolic pressure and systolic pressure during inflation can be displayed along with the measured diastolic pressure and systolic pressure during deflation. In addition, the patient monitor 206 can further display additional physiological parameters measured by the patient monitor 206.

FIGS. 4B and 4C include plot diagrams illustrating additional embodiments of the pressure of the inflatable cuff 204 during inflation and deflation. Plots 403A and 405A correspond to plot 401A, and plots 403B and 405B correspond to plot 401B. Similar to plots 401A and 401B, plots 403A, 403B, 405A, and 405B illustrate the inflation of the inflatable cuff 204 beginning at point 408 and ending at point 410. In addition the deflation of the inflatable cuff begins at point 410 in plots 403A, 403B, 405A, and 405B.

Plots 403A and 403B further illustrate signal noise being exhibited at different points throughout the lines 416 and 418. The first observed signal noise occurs near the beginning of the lines 418 and another occurs near the end. Similar to the oscillations due to blood flow in the artery, signal noise is exhibited as small displacements on the line 416 and oscillations in the line 418. As illustrated, unless accounted for, the signal noise occurring in plots 403A and 403B can have an adverse affect on blood pressure measurements due at least to their magnitude. The first detected signal noise results in the maximum deflection point prior to deflation and the last detected signal noise results in the maximum deflection point after deflation. In embodiments, where maximum deflection points are used, if inflation and deflation are not demarcated appropriately or if signal noise is not accounted for, the patient monitor 206 can erroneously determine the blood pressure measurements based on the signal noise.

The plot 403B further illustrates an example where a blood pressure measurement taken during inflation can in some instance have a higher confidence level than the blood pressure measurement taken during deflation. As mentioned previously, during inflation, the diastolic pressure can be determined as the pressure at which the largest slope in line 418 prior to the maximum deflection point during inflation occurs (point 442 in the illustrated embodiment). The systolic pressure can be calculated as the pressure at which the maximum deflection point of line 418 occurs during inflation (point 440 in the illustrated embodiment). Upon deflation, the systolic pressure is calculated as the pressure at which the largest slope in line 418 prior to the maximum deflection point (point 444 in the illustrated embodiment) during deflation occurs (point 446 in the illustrated embodiment). Similarly, the diastolic pressure is calculated as the pressure at which the largest slope in line 418 after the maximum deflection point during deflation occurs (point 448 in the illustrated embodiment). As illustrated in plot 403B, the maximum deflection point during deflation can be difficult to identify, which can make it difficult to calculate the diastolic and systolic pressure of the wearer accurately. Accordingly, the confidence placed in the blood pressure measurement during deflation can be relatively low compared to the confidence level placed in the blood pressure measurement during inflation. Accordingly, the patient monitor 204 can determine that the blood pressure measurement taken during inflation is likely more accurate. In addition, depending on the amount and magnitude of the signal noise detected, the patient monitor 206 can determine that neither blood pressure measurement reaches a threshold confidence level and that blood pressure measurements should be retaken.

Plots 405A and 405B illustrate yet another example of blood pressure measurements taken during inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff 204. As illustrated, signal noise is detected near the beginning of lines 420 and 422, resulting in oscillations observed in line 422. As mentioned previously, if not accounted for, the signal noise can adversely affect the blood pressure measurements during inflation. However, in the line 422, the maximum deflection point prior to deflation occurs during inflation. Thus, the signal noise at the beginning of the line 422 should not affect the blood pressure measurements. Plots 405A and 405B further illustrate an example where the blood pressure measurement taken during inflation can have a similar confidence level as the confidence level of the blood pressure measurement taken during deflation. As illustrated, the line 418 exhibits a distinctive maximum amplitude during inflation (point 450 in the illustrated embodiment) and during deflation (point 454 in the illustrated embodiment). In the illustrated embodiment, the patient monitor calculates the largest slope during inflation as the slope at point 452. During deflation, the patient monitor calculates the largest slop prior to the maximum amplitude at point 456 and the largest slop following the maximum amplitude at point 458.

FIG. 5A is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process 500A for measuring blood pressure during inflation of an inflatable cuff 204. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the process 500A begins at block 502 by actuating a valve, which allows gas to flow from a gas reservoir 202 to the inflatable cuff 204, causing the inflatable cuff 204 to inflate. The valve can be located near an opening of the gas reservoir 202, at some point along the gas pathway or at the inflatable cuff 204. In one embodiment, multiple valves 212, 216 and/or regulators 208 can be included between the gas reservoir 202 and the inflatable cuff 204. Each valve and/or regulator can be actuated prior to inflating the inflatable cuff 204. The valve(s) can be actuated manually by a user or electronically by a patient monitor 206. For example, a user can manually open the valve 216 to allow gas to flow from the gas reservoir 202 to the inflatable cuff 204. The user can open the valve in a way that allows for the inflation of the inflatable cuff 204 at an approximately constant rate of inflation. A regulator 208 can also be used to achieve the approximately constant rate of inflation. Alternatively, a patient monitor 206 in communication with the gas reservoir can actuate the valve 216, allowing the gas to flow from the gas reservoir 202 to the inflatable cuff 206. Communication from the patient monitor 206 can occur by wired or wireless communication, such as a LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, infra-red, Bluetooth, radio wave, cellular, or the like, using any number of communication protocols.

To actuate the valve, an input to the patient monitor 206 such as a button can be used. Alternatively, the patient monitor can automatically actuate the valve once the patient monitor is turned on or based on one or more configuration parameters. For example, the patient monitor can be configured to determine the blood pressure of a wearer once every time period. The timer period can be configured as any period of time, such as 6 minutes, 15 minutes, 60 minutes, etc. In yet another embodiment, the patient monitor 206 determines if the inflatable cuff is attached to a wearer. If the patient monitor 206 determines that the inflatable cuff is attached to a wearer, the patient monitor 206 can actuate the valve at predefined time intervals. Any number of methods can be used to determine if the inflatable cuff is attached to a wearer. For example, the patient monitor 206 can determine whether the inflatable cuff is attached to a wearer using infra-red sensors, pressure sensors, capacitive touch, skin resistance, processor polling or current sensing or the like.

Once the inflatable cuff 204 is inflating, the patient monitor 206 receives blood pressure data from the sensors, as illustrated in block 504. The blood pressure data can be obtained at the inflatable cuff 204 using any number of different sensors or methods. For example, a pressure sensor can be used to identify the air pressure due to the inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff 204. The pressure sensor can be located at the inflatable cuff, the patient monitor 206, at some point along the gas pathway, or some other location where it is capable of measuring the pressure of the inflatable cuff 204. Alternatively, an auditory sensor communicatively coupled to the patient monitor 206 can be used to detect Korotkoff sounds, similar to the method used for manual determination of blood pressure using a stethoscope.

At block 506, the patient monitor 206 filters the blood pressure data. Filtering the blood pressure data can reduce the effects of, or completely remove, environmental noise and/or the electrical noise found within the patient monitoring system. Furthermore, during filtering, the patient monitor 206 can normalize the blood pressure data to account for the changes in pressure due to the inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff. In one embodiment, after filtering the blood pressure data, only the pressure oscillations in the inflatable cuff 204 due to blood flow in an artery of the wearer remain, and in some instances signal noise. Upon filtering the blood pressure data, the patient monitor 206 can determine the blood pressure of the wearer, as illustrated in block 508.

The patient monitor 206 can determine the blood pressure using any number of different methods as described above with reference to FIGS. 4A-4C. For example, the patient monitor 206 can determine the blood pressure of the wearer using the slopes and/or amplitude of the pressure oscillations, the mean arterial pressure, and/or the Korotkoff sounds.

Once the patient monitor 206 determines the blood pressure of the wearer, the patient monitor 206 can actuate a valve to stop gases from flowing from the gas reservoir to the inflatable cuff, as illustrated in block 510. In one embodiment, the valve is a three-way valve 216 and actuating the valve to stop the gases from flowing from the gas reservoir to the inflatable cuff also opens the gas pathway segment 220 to release the gas from the inflatable cuff.

Fewer, more, or different blocks can be added to the process 500A without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. For example, the patient monitor 206 can filter the blood pressure data to determine the diastolic pressure first. As the diastolic pressure is being calculated, the patient monitor 206 can continue receiving and filtering the blood pressure data to determine the systolic pressure. In an embodiment, the patient monitor can determine the blood pressure without filtering the blood pressure data. In addition, a user can determine the blood pressure measurements without the use of the patient monitor 206. In an embodiment, a user using a stethoscope can determine the diastolic and systolic pressure during inflation of the inflatable cuff without filtering the blood pressure data.

As mentioned previously, by measuring the blood pressure during inflation of the inflatable cuff 204, the blood pressure of the wearer can be measured in less time and using less pressure. Furthermore, because the artery is occluded for less time, or not occluded at all, the blood pressure can be measured more frequently.

FIG. 5B illustrates a flow diagram of a process 500B for measuring blood pressure during deflation of an inflatable cuff. At block 550, the inflatable cuff 204 is inflated. In one embodiment, the inflatable cuff 204 is inflated using gas from a gas reservoir 202. Using the gas from the gas reservoir 202, the inflatable cuff 204 can be inflated very quickly leading to a relatively short wait time before blood pressure measurements can be taken.

As the inflatable cuff 204 inflates, the patient monitor determines whether a threshold pressure has been reached, as illustrated in block 552. The threshold pressure can be any pressure level and can vary between blood pressure measurements. Furthermore, the threshold pressure can be determined based on previous blood pressure measurements, historical information, clinical data from one or more wearers, or the like. In one embodiment, the threshold pressure is above an expected systolic pressure of the wearer. In another embodiment, the threshold pressure is above an expected occlusion pressure or the pressure at which the artery is occluded. The inflation can be initiated in a manner similar to that described above with reference to FIG. 5A. If the patient monitor 206 determines that the threshold pressure has not been reached, the inflatable cuff 204 continues to inflate. However, if the patient monitor 206 determines that the threshold pressure has been reached, the process moves to block 554.

At block 554, the patient monitor 206 actuates the valve to initiate deflation of the inflatable cuff 206. In one embodiment, the valve is a three-way valve similar to valve 216 of FIG. 2, such that the inflation of the inflatable cuff 204 ends at the same time deflation begins. Once the deflation of the inflatable cuff 204 begins, the process moves to block 556 and the patient monitor receives blood pressure data, filters the blood pressure data 558, and determines blood pressure 560. Greater detail regarding receiving blood pressure data 556, filtering the blood pressure data 558 and determining blood pressure is described above with reference to blocks 504-408 of FIG. 5A.

Fewer, more, or different blocks can be added to the process 500B without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. For example, the patient monitor 206 can determine the systolic pressure prior to receiving the blood pressure data or filtering the blood pressure data to determine the diastolic pressure. In addition, the process 500B can be implemented without the use of the patient monitor 206. For example, a user can receive blood pressure data via a stethoscope. The user can determine the blood pressure of the wearer using Korotkoff sounds, and can also determine the blood pressure of the wearer without filtering the blood pressure data. Furthermore, process 500A and 500B can be combined and measurements taken during inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff. Furthermore, the measurements taken during deflation of the inflatable cuff can be used to verify the blood pressure readings taken during inflation of the inflatable cuff 204.

FIG. 6A is a flow diagram illustrating another embodiment of a process 600 implemented by the patient monitor for measuring blood pressure of a wearer. FIG. 6A is similar in many respects to FIGS. 5A and 5B. For example, blocks 602-508 of FIG. 6A correspond to blocks 502-408 of FIG. 5A, respectively. Furthermore, blocks 614-520 correspond to blocks 554-460 of FIG. 5B, respectively.

As described above with reference to FIG. 5A and illustrated in blocks 602-508, the patient monitor 206 actuates a valve to initiate inflation, receives blood pressure data during inflation, filters the blood pressure data, and determines the blood pressure of the wearer. Upon determining the blood pressure of the wearer, the patient monitor assigns a confidence level to the blood pressure measurements, as illustrated in block 610. The confidence level assigned can be determined in any number of ways. For example, the patient monitor can assign the confidence level based on the amount and magnitude of the noise observed in the blood pressure data, determined systolic and/or diastolic values, determined pulse pressure, determined pulse rate, and the like. In some embodiments, if an anomaly in the blood pressure data is detected or if the blood pressure data deviates beyond a threshold level a lower confidence level can be assigned to the blood pressure measurements. In an embodiment, prior measurements or other expectations or trend information may be used to determine confidence levels.

At determination block 612, the patient monitor 206 determines if the confidence level assigned to the inflationary blood pressure measurements are above a threshold confidence level. The threshold confidence level can be determined based on previous blood pressure measurements, historical information, clinical data from one or more wearers, or the like. If the confidence level assigned to the blood pressure measurements during inflation satisfies the threshold confidence level, the patient monitor 206 outputs the inflationary blood pressure measurements, as illustrated in block 628. The inflationary blood pressure measurements can be output to a display, a printer, another patient monitor, etc. Once output, the patient monitor 206 can actuate a valve to deflate the inflatable cuff 204 at a rate greater than would be used if the blood pressure measurements were taken during deflation. Alternatively, the patient monitor 206 can deflate the inflatable cuff 204 at the same rate as when blood pressure measurements taken during deflation.

If on the other hand, the confidence level assigned to the inflationary blood pressure measurements is less than the threshold confidence level, then the patient monitor can actuate the valve to initiate deflation of the inflatable cuff, as illustrated in block 614. As blocks 614-520 correspond to blocks 554-460 of FIG. 5B, additional details with respect to blocks 614-520 are provided above with reference to FIG. 5B.

Upon determining the blood pressure during deflation, the patient monitor 206 can assign a confidence level to the deflationary blood pressure measurements, as illustrated in block 622 and described in greater detail above with reference to block 610. Upon assigning the confidence level to the deflationary blood pressure measurements, the patient monitor 206 determines if the confidence level exceeds a threshold confidence, as illustrated in determination block 624, similar to the determination made in block 612. If the patient monitor 206 determines that the confidence level assigned to the deflationary blood pressure measurements does not exceed the confidence threshold, the patient monitor 206 can output an error, as illustrated in block 626. The error can indicate that neither the inflationary blood pressure measurements nor the deflationary blood pressure measurements exceeded the confidence threshold. In addition, the patient monitor 206 can recommend that additional blood pressure measurements be taken.

If on the other hand, the patient monitor determines that the confidence level assigned to the deflationary blood pressure measurements exceeds the confidence threshold, the patient monitor outputs the deflationary blood pressure measurements, as shown in block 628.

Fewer, more, or different blocks can be added to the process 600 without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. For example, in an embodiment, the patient monitor 206 automatically returns to step 602 upon outputting the error or determining that the confidence level did not exceed the confidence threshold, and repeats the process 600. In yet another embodiment, the patient monitor 206 outputs the error as well as the blood pressure measurements having the highest confidence level.

FIG. 6B is a flow diagram illustrating yet another embodiment of a process 650 implemented by the patient monitor 206 for measuring blood pressure of a wearer. At block 652, the patient monitor 206 receives configuration parameters. The configuration parameters can be set by a user, another patient monitor, or preset. The configuration parameters can include when to measure blood pressure, how to calculate the diastolic and systolic blood pressure, what measurements to display, confidence thresholds, etc. For example the configuration parameters can include whether to take blood pressure measurements during inflation, deflation, or both. In addition, the configuration parameters can include information regarding what process to use to determine the blood pressure measurements. For example, the patient monitor can determine the blood pressure measurements using the measured arterial pressure, the slopes of the pressure oscillations, maximum deflection points of the filtered blood pressure data, or other criteria. The configuration parameters can also include the confidence level to be used in determining whether the blood pressure measurements should be accepted. Furthermore, the configuration parameters can include what blood pressure measurements are to be output and how to determine which blood pressure measurements to output. For example, the configuration parameters can dictate that only blood pressure measurements having a confidence level greater than a threshold are to be output, or that the blood pressure measurements having the highest threshold are to be output. Additionally, the configuration parameters can dictate that both blood pressure measurements, average blood pressure measurements, and the like are to be output. Furthermore, the configuration parameters can include the frequency with which the blood pressure measurements are to be taken.

At block 654, the patient monitor initiates inflation based on the received configuration parameters. For example, the configuration parameters can dictate the rate at which the inflatable cuff 204 is to be inflated using the gas reservoir 202. In an embodiment, the inflatable cuff 204 is inflated at an approximately constant rate. In another embodiment, the inflatable cuff is not inflated at an approximately constant rate. In an embodiment, the inflatable cuff 204 is inflated in a relatively short amount of time or at a very high rate of inflation. In another embodiment, the inflatable cuff 204 is inflated more slowly.

At block 656 the inflationary blood pressure measurements are determined by the patient monitor 656 based on the configuration parameters. The configuration parameters can dictate whether and what method to use in determining the inflationary blood pressure measurements. Furthermore, the configuration parameters can dictate whether the blood pressure data is filtered and how. In an embodiment, the configuration parameters dictate that the inflationary blood pressure measurements are not to be taken based on the inflation rate. In another embodiment, the patient monitor determines the inflationary blood pressure measurements based on the slope and magnitude of the oscillations of the filtered blood pressure data during inflation based on the configuration parameters. In addition, the patient monitor can set confidence levels and perform other operations based on the configuration parameters.

Upon determining the inflationary blood pressure measurements, the patient monitor initiates deflation of the inflatable cuff 204 based on the configuration parameters. The configuration parameters can dictate the time and rate at which the inflatable cuff 204 deflates. For example, the configuration parameters can dictate a threshold pressure that when reached initiates the deflation. The threshold pressure can be based on personal information of the wearer or general safety levels. In an embodiment, the patient monitor initiates deflation based on a threshold pressure being reached for a predefined period of time based on the configuration parameters. In another embodiment, the patient monitor initiates deflation once the inflationary blood pressure measurements are taken.

Upon initiating deflation, the patient monitor determines deflationary blood pressure measurements based on one or more configuration parameters, as illustrated in block 660. As discussed previously, with reference to block 656 the configuration parameters can include any number of parameters that determine if and how the deflationary blood pressure measurements are taken, as well as if and how the blood pressure data is filtered. In addition, the patient monitor can set confidence levels and perform other operations based on the configuration parameters.

Upon determining the deflationary blood pressure measurements, the patient monitor arbitrates blood pressure measurements based on the configuration parameters. The patient monitor can arbitrate the blood pressure measurements based on any number of configuration parameters. For example, the patient monitor can arbitrate the blood pressure measurements based on the highest confidence level or whether a threshold confidence level was reached. Furthermore, the patient monitor can arbitrate based on expected values, previous values, averages or the like. Alternatively, the patient monitor can select both the inflationary and deflationary blood pressure measurements.

At block 664, the patient monitor outputs the results of the arbitration based on the configuration parameters. The output can include the inflationary blood pressure measurements, the deflationary blood pressure measurements, both or a combination of the two. The output can further include additional information, such as inflation rate, deflation rate, average blood pressure measurements depending on whether they were determined during inflation or deflation, etc.

Fewer, more, or different blocks can be added to the process 650 without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. For example, based on the blood pressure measurements, the configuration parameters can be changed and the process 650 can begin again.

FIG. 7A is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process 700 implemented by the patient monitor 206 for filtering the blood pressure data and determining blood pressure. Blocks 702-710 correspond to filtering the blood pressure data, as described previously with reference to blocks 506 and 558 of FIGS. 5A and 5B, respectively, and blocks 606, and 618 of FIG. 6A. Blocks 712 and 714 correspond to determining the blood pressure data, as described previously with reference to blocks 508 and 560 of FIGS. 5A and 5B, respectively, and blocks 608, and 620 of FIG. 6A. Furthermore, in some embodiments, steps 702-714 can correspond to block 656 and 660 of FIG. 6B.

At block 702, the patient monitor 206 filters the blood pressure data using a first filter. In some embodiments, the first filter can be a lowpass filter and can be used to remove noise and reduce the sample rate of the blood pressure data. In some embodiments, the first filter can decimate the blood pressure data. However, it will be understood that other techniques and filters can be used to filter the blood pressure data.

At block 704, the patient monitor 206 determines a pulse based at least on the filtered data. In some embodiments, to determine the pulse, the patient monitor 206 further filters the blood pressure data and transforms the blood pressure data into the frequency domain. To further filter the data, the patient monitor 206 can use a bandpass filter or detrend the blood pressure data. However, it will be understood that other techniques and filters can be used to further filter the data. Furthermore, the patient monitor 206 can use a Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT) to transform the blood pressure data to the frequency domain. However, it will be understood that other techniques and transforms can be used to transform the blood pressure data to the frequency domain. Once in the frequency domain, the patient monitor 206 can determine the pulse rate.

At block 706, the patient monitor 206 further filters the blood pressure data based at least on the determined pulse. In some embodiments, the filter can be a bandpass filter that is based at least on the determined pulse rate. However, it will be understood that other techniques and filters can be used to further filter the blood pressure data. For example, in some embodiments, the blood pressure data is filtered without the use of the pulse, or can be detrended.

At block 708, the patient monitor 206 normalizes the peaks within the filtered data that satisfy the threshold peak value. In some embodiments, the threshold peak value can be determined based at least on the value of the peak with the maximum amplitude. For example, the threshold peak value can be a percentage of the maximum peak value, such as fifty or sixty percent. Thus, the patient monitor can normalize only those peaks that are at least fifty or sixty percent of the maximum amplitude. In certain embodiments, the threshold peak value varies based on the location of the peak. For example, a first peak threshold value can be used for peaks that come before the maximum amplitude and a second peak threshold value can be used for peaks that come after the maximum amplitude.

At block 710, the patient monitor 206 determines parameters of the normalized peaks. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 206 determines statistical parameters of the normalized peaks, such as, but not limited to, the mean, median and/or mode, the standard deviation, the skewness, maximum peak value, minimum peak value, etc. Although illustrated as part of the determining blood pressure block, it will be understood that block 710 can also form part of the filtering of the blood pressure data.

At block 712, the patient monitor 206 determines the systolic and diastolic pressure based at least on the determined parameters of the normalized peaks. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 206 dynamically determines the systolic and diastolic pressure using one or more of the determined parameters. In certain embodiments, the patient monitor 206 uses a lookup table or calibration curve to determine the systolic and diastolic pressure using one or more of the determined parameters.

Fewer, more, or different blocks can be added to the process 700 without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. For example, the blood pressure data can be filtered once, peaks can be identified and normalized from the filtered data, and the patient monitor can determine parameters of the normalized peaks to lookup the systolic and diastolic pressure.

FIG. 7B is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process 750 implemented by the patient monitor 206 for determining an end of inflation point for the blood pressure cuff. In some embodiments, process 750 and blocks 752-758 can be used to determine the time at which to actuate the valve to end inflation and/or begin deflation and mentioned previously with reference to block 510 of FIG. 5A, block 554 of FIG. 5B, block 614 of FIG. 6A, and block 658 of FIG. 6B, described previously.

At block 752, the patient monitor 206 filters the blood pressure data. As part of the filtering, the patient monitor 206 can decimate and/or detrend the blood pressure data as described previously with reference to blocks 702 and 704 of FIG. 7A. However, it will be understood that other techniques can be used to filter the blood pressure data. For example, the patient monitor 206 can use a lowpass filter, highpass filter, and/or bandpass filter to filter the blood pressure data, etc.

At block 754, the patient monitor 206 identifies a peak value of the blood pressure data. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 206 determines an envelope of the filtered blood pressure data and identifies the maximum value of the envelope of the filtered data. In certain embodiments, the patient monitor 206 can determine the standard deviation of the blood pressure data to determine the envelope of the data. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 206 identifies the maximum amplitude of the blood pressure data as the peak value.

At block 756, the patient monitor 206 identifies a stopping point of the blood pressure data in relation to the peak value. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 206 identifies a threshold value as a stopping point. In certain embodiments, the patient monitor 206 can identify a percentage of the peak value as the stopping point. For example, when the blood pressure data falls below the threshold value, the patient monitor 206 can actuate the valve to end inflation and/or begin deflation. In certain embodiments, the threshold value can be a predefined pressure or a pressure determined based on the peak value. For example, the threshold value can be the pressure that is twenty or thirty percent greater than the pressure measured at the peak value. Accordingly, once the threshold value is reached, the patient monitor 206 can actuate the valve to end inflation and/or begin deflation. Fewer, more, or different blocks can be added to the process 750 without departing from the spirit and scope of the description.

Depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or functions of any of the methods described herein can be performed in a different sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the method). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events can be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors, rather than sequentially.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. The described functionality can be implemented in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the disclosure.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium can reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

Valve

FIGS. 8A-D generally illustrate an on-off linear valve 800 having an input port 810, an output port 820 and an electrical plug 830. In an embodiment, the on-off linear valve 800 is unidirectional, with the input port 810 configured for connection to a high pressure gas source and the output port 820 connected to a gas receptacle. Advantageously, the on-off linear valve 800 has a relatively small size that is compatible with a blood pressure cuff inflation application utilizing a CO₂ cartridge.

As shown in FIGS. 8A-D, the electrical plug 830 connects to a DC electrical source so as to heat an internal SMA (shape memory alloy) wire. The SMA wire contracts as it heats so as to open the input port 810, as described with respect to FIGS. 9-10, below. In an embodiment, the maximum plug current is 700 mA, depending on the SMA wire diameter and length. In an embodiment, the valve body 1100 (FIGS. 11A-G) and end cap 1200 (FIGS. 12A-E) are made of ABS or nylon 66 material so as to form a 13×13×16 mm body and a corresponding 13×13×49 mm valve. The on-off linear valve 800 also prevents any high pressure gas leaks and has a quick response time.

FIG. 9 further illustrates an on-off linear valve 800 having a valve body 1100 and a valve cap 1200, which enclose and slidably contain a valve actuator 900. The valve actuator 900 has a seal end 901 that prevents gas flow through the input port 810 when the valve is off and a flow end 902 that directs gas through the output port 820 when the valve is on. The valve actuator 900 has a plunger 1300, lock pins 1400, a seal 1500, an SMA wire 1010, a spring 1020 and conductors 1030. The seal 1500 provides a pliant surface that internally seals the input port 810. In a normally closed position with no power applied to the conductors 1030, the spring 1020 forces the plunger away from the end cap 1200, which presses the seal 1500 against a seat 1120 (FIG. 11F), so as to prevent gas flow into the input port 810. In an open position with power applied to the conductors 1030, the SMA wire 1010 pulls the plunger toward the end cap 1200 so as to remove the seal 1500 from the seat 1120 (FIG. 11F). This allows gas to flow into the input port 810, across the plunger 1300 surface and out through the output port 820 accordingly.

As shown in FIG. 9, the SMA wire 1010 is strung through extended thru-holes disposed lengthwise on either side of plunger 1300 and via thru-holes disposed widthwise proximate the plunger seal end 901. Current applied to the conductors 1030 via the electrical plug 830 (FIG. 8) portion of the conductors 1030 heats the SMA wire 1010; causing the SMA wire 1010 length to contract against the force of the spring 1020 and pull the seal end 901 from the input port seat 1120 (FIG. 11F). Accordingly, high pressure gas flows through the input port 820, through actuator 900 channels 80 (FIG. 11G) to the end cap 1200 and on through the output port 820. When current is no longer applied to the electrical plug 830 (FIG. 8), the SMA wire 1010 cools, its length expands, and the spring 1020 forces the seal 1500 against the seat 1120 (FIG. 11F) so as to stop the gas flow through the valve 800.

FIG. 10 further illustrates an on-off linear valve actuator 900 having a plunger 1300, lock pins 1400, seal 1500, SMA wire 1010, spring 1020 and conductors 1030, as cited above. The seal 1500 is disposed in a seal housing 1330 so that a catch 1510 (FIG. 15A) is press fit into a catch aperture 1332. SMA wire 1010 is threaded through plunger vias 1322 and end cap vias 1202 and fixedly disposed within the lock pins 1400. The conductors 1030 are routed through lock pin apertures 1412 and staked into end cap holes 1203 with the spring 1020 captured between the plunger 1300 and the end cap 1200. In this manner, the SMA wire can be advantageously cut-to-length to calibrate the “valve closed” pressure of the seal 1500 against the seal seat 1120 (FIG. 11F) so as to prevent high pressure gas from entering the input port 810. The lock pins 1400 and attached SMA wire is accessible through end cap apertures 1224 (FIG. 12E).

FIGS. 11A-G illustrate an on-off linear valve body 1100 having a generally elongated hollow shell 1105 extending between an enclosed first end 1101 and an open second end 1102. The first end 1101 has an externally extending input nozzle 1110 and an internally extending seal seat 1120 (FIGS. 11E-F). An input port 810 provides an opening for gas flow that extends from the external input nozzle 1110 to the internal seal seat 1120.

As shown in FIGS. 11E& G, the body shell 1105 has a fluted interior 1130 that includes semi-cylindrical grooves 1140 proximate the shell corners 1107 and partially-cylindrical grooves 1150 proximate the shell sides 1108. The semi-cylindrical grooves 1140 accommodate corresponding plunger rails 1320 (FIGS. 13A-E), which slidably fit within the grooves 1140. Advantageously, the partially-cylindrical grooves 1150 and the relatively smaller-diameter plunger piston 1310 (FIGS. 13A-E) define gas channels 80 that accommodate gas flow between the input port 810 and the output port 820 (FIGS. 8A-D) when the seal 1500 (FIG. 9) is pulled away from the seal seat 1120 (FIG. 11F) by the SMA wire 1010 (FIG. 9) opposing the spring 1020 (FIG. 9) during valve actuation.

FIGS. 12A-E illustrate a valve cap 1200 having an output nozzle 1210, a lid 1220 and an insert 1230. The insert 1230 fits into the body open end 1102 (FIGS. 11A, 11C, 11E) so that the lid 1220 encloses the body 1100 and the output nozzle 1210 extends external to the body 1100. The output nozzle 1210 defines an output port 820 for expelling gas entering from the input port 810 (FIGS. 8A-D). The insert 1230 fits within and conforms to the body fluted interior 1130 (FIG. 11E). The lid 1220 has conductor apertures 1222 that accept the conductors 1030 (FIGS. 9-10) and lock pin apertures 1224 that accept the lock pins 1400 (FIGS. 9-10). The insert 1230 has wire apertures 1232 that accept the SMA wire 1010 (FIGS. 9-10).

As shown in FIGS. 12A-E, the conductors 1030 (FIGS. 9-10) are fixedly staked through the conductor apertures 1222 and through lock pins 1400 (FIGS. 9-10) so as to form the electrical plug 830 (FIGS. 8A-D) and so as to secure the lock pins 1400 (FIGS. 9-10) within the lock pin apertures 1224. The SMA wire 1010 (FIGS. 9-10) is fed through the wire apertures 1232 and terminated at and fixedly secured within the lock pins 1400 (FIGS. 9-10), as described with respect to FIGS. 14A-E, below.

FIGS. 13A-E illustrate a plunger 1300 having a seal end 1301 and a spring end 1302. The plunger 1300 has a piston 1310, semi-cylindrical rails 1320 disposed along the length of the piston 1310 at 90° intervals, a seal housing 1330 extending from the piston 1310 at the seal end 1301 and a spring housing 1340 disposed within the piston 1310 at the spring end 1302. The SMA wire 1010 (FIGS. 9-10) is fed through the wire apertures 1324, 1334 defined within an opposing pair of the rails 1320 and across the seal housing 1330. A seal 1500 (FIGS. 15A-F) is disposed within the seal housing 1330 so that a flanged seal stem 1510 is inserted into and fixedly secured within a catch aperture 1332 so as to secure the seal 1500 (FIGS. 15A-F) within the seal housing 1330. A spring 1020 (FIGS. 9-10) is disposed within the spring housing 1340.

FIGS. 14A-E illustrate a lock pin 1400 having a conductor aperture 1412 disposed at a conductor end 1401 and a wire aperture 1422 disposed at a wire end 1402. Generally, a pair of lock pins 1400 terminate the SMA wire 1010 (FIGS. 9-10) at both ends after the SMA wire is strung through the plunger 900 and the valve cap 1200 (FIGS. 12A-E) and soldered or otherwise electrically connected and mechanically secured within the wire apertures 1422. Further, the lock pins 1400 are anchored within lock pin apertures 1224 (FIG. 12E) by conductors 1030 disposed through and soldered or otherwise electrically connected and mechanically secured within the conductor apertures 1412 and staked or otherwise secured within the valve cap body 1220.

FIGS. 15A-F illustrate a generally disc-shaped seal 1500 having a seat side 1501 and an opposite stem side 1502. The seat side 1501 provides a seal surface that covers and is pressed against the seal seat 1120 (FIG. 11F) under force of the spring 1020 (FIGS. 9-10). The stem side 1502 has a flanged stem 1510 that is pressed through and fixedly held within a catch aperture 1332 (FIG. 13B).

An on-off linear valve has been disclosed in detail in connection with various embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed by way of examples only and are not to limit the scope of the disclosure herein. One of ordinary skill in art will appreciate many variations and modifications.

Pressure Sensor

FIGS. 16A-B illustrate a pressure sensor 1600 that advantageously indicates the presence of a predetermined minimum pressure level. The pressure sensor 1600 has an enclosure 1610, a nozzle 1620, a flexible conductive 1630, a contact set 1640 and a vent 1650. The conductive element 1630 rests on supports 1616 so as to divide the enclosure 1610 interior into a pressure chamber 1612 and a contact chamber 1614. As shown in FIG. 16B, the conductive element 1630 is responsive to gas pressure at the nozzle 1620 so as to flex toward the contacts 1640. The vent 1650 releases pressure in the contact chamber 1614 as the conductive element 1630 flexes toward the contacts 1640.

As shown in FIGS. 16A-B, operationally, the pressure sensor 1600 has a normally open position 1601 (FIG. 16A) and a closed position 1602 (FIG. 16B) responsive to a gas pressure threshold so as to complete an electrical circuit. In particular, in the normally open position 1601, with no or insufficient gas pressure present at the nozzle 1620, the conductive element 1630 is unflexed or insufficiently flexed so as to be distal the contacts 1640. As such, there is no conductive path between the contacts 1640 so as to complete a circuit. In the closed position 1602, the flexible conductive element 1630 is flexed in response to sufficient gas pressure so that the conductive element 1630 bridges the contacts 1640 allowing electrical current to flow through the contacts 1640. In this manner, the pressure sensor 1600 provides an electrical indication of a predetermined pressure threshold. The pressure threshold may indicate, for example, that a minimum gas pressure exists at the nozzle 1620 or that a maximum gas pressure at the nozzle has been exceeded. The nozzle gas pressure that bridges the contacts depends on the mechanical (flex) characteristics of the conductive element 1630, the proximity and configuration of the contacts 1640 with respect to the conductive element 1630 and the supports 1616 configuration. In various embodiments, the enclosure 1610 is cubic, a rectangular cuboid or cylindrical. The nozzle 1620 may be cylindrical or tapered cylindrical and is located over or off-the-side of the chamber, to name a few configurations. The conductive element 1630 may be round, square or rectangular, and the contacts 1640 may be angled or straight, as a few examples.

FIGS. 17A-F illustrate a generally-cubic pressure sensor 1700 embodiment having a contact housing 1900 fixedly joined to a nozzle housing 2000 so as to define an internal sensor chamber 1810, 1820 (FIGS. 18A-B). A pair of electrical contacts 2200 extend within contact slots 1912 along the contact housing 1900 top and from the contact housing 1900 sides. A nozzle 2030 extends from the nozzle housing 2000 front proximate the nozzle housing 2000 bottom. A nozzle aperture 2032 is defined in the nozzle 2030, which extends from the nozzle end to an interior pressure chamber 1810 (FIG. 18A), as described with respect to FIGS. 18A-B, below. Operationally, the nozzle 2030 accepts a pressure tube, hose or similar transport for carrying a pressurized gas such as air, oxygen or carbon dioxide, to name a few. The nozzle aperture 2032 transports pressurized gas to the pressure chamber 1810 (FIG. 18A). The pressure sensor 1700 is responsive to pressurized gas so as to provide a conductive path between the contacts 2200 when the predetermined pressure level is met or exceeded. Accordingly, the pressure sensor 1700 provides an electrical indication of the predetermined gas pressure level to a remote device in electrical communications with the contacts 2200.

FIGS. 18A-B further illustrate a pressure sensor 1700 embodiment having a contact housing 1900 fixedly joined to a nozzle housing 2000 so as to define a sensor chamber 1810 (FIG. 18A), 1820 (FIG. 18B). In particular, an annular contact housing wall 1920 inserts into a nozzle housing aperture 2012 so as to capture a flexible conductive disk 2100 between the contact housing wall 1920 and a corresponding annular nozzle housing wall 2020 defined within the nozzle housing aperture 2012. The disk 2100 advantageously divides the sensor chamber 1810, 1820 into a pressure chamber 1810 and a contact chamber 1820. The pressure chamber 1810 pressurizes in response to gas pressure at the nozzle 2030 and specifically from gas pressure routed into the pressure chamber via the nozzle aperture 2032. The disk 2100 is responsive to pressurized gas in the pressure chamber 1810 so as to flex into the contact chamber 1820. At a critical gas pressure at the nozzle 2030, the disk 2100 flexes sufficiently to bridge contact points 2222 defined by the contacts 2200 and recessed within the contact chamber 1820. A contact chamber vent 1916 releases any counter-pressure on the disk that may result as the disk 2100 flexes into the contact chamber 1820. Advantageously, the pressure sensor 1700 may be incorporated into an electrical circuit, which is completed when the conductive disk 2100 bridges the contact points 2222. The size and mechanical characteristics of the disk 2100, the configuration of the sensor chamber walls 1920, 2020, and the configuration of the contact points 2222 within the contact chamber 1820 are all included in the design choices that determine the minimum gas pressure level at the nozzle 2030 which allows electrical current to flow through the contacts 2200.

In an embodiment, the pressure sensor 1700 is responsive to and indicative of sufficient remaining pressure in a CO₂ cartridge or similar pressurized gas container, which is in communication with the sensor 1700 via a hose fitted to the nozzle 2030. In an embodiment, a sealing material or compound applied where housing walls 1920, 2020 contact the disk 2100 renders the sensor chamber 1810, 1820 gas tight and, in particular, prevents gas leaking from the pressure chamber 1810 into the contact chamber 1820.

FIGS. 19A-D illustrate a contact housing 1900 having a generally rectangular cuboid top 1910 and a generally annular contact housing wall 1920 extending from the top 1910. Contact slots 1912 extend across the top 1910 and contact apertures 1914 extend through the top within each of the slots 1912 so as to receive a pair of contacts 2200, as described above with respect to FIGS. 17A-F. A chamber vent 1916 is disposed through the top 1916, as described above with respect to FIGS. 17A-F. Contacts 2200 (FIGS. 22A-D) extend through the contact apertures 1914 into a contact chamber 1820 defined by the annular wall 1920 so as to provide contact points 2222 (FIGS. 22A-D) for the conductive disk 2100 (FIGS. 21A-C), as described above with respect to FIGS. 18A-B.

FIGS. 20A-F illustrate a nozzle housing 2000 having a generally rectangular cuboid body 2010, a nozzle housing aperture 2012 defined within the body 2010 and a generally annular nozzle housing wall 2020 defined within the housing aperture 2012. A nozzle 2030 extends from the housing body 2010 and defines a nozzle aperture 2032 extending from the nozzle 2030 end through the nozzle housing wall 2020 so as to allow gas pressure to be exerted through the nozzle and into the pressure chamber 1810, as described above.

As shown in FIGS. 20A-F, the nozzle housing aperture 2012 snugly accommodates the contact housing wall 1920 (FIGS. 19A-D), which mates with the nozzle housing wall 2020 to form a sensor chamber 1810, 1820 (FIGS. 18A-B), as described above. A conductive disk 2100 (FIGS. 21A-C) is captured between the housing walls 1920, 2020 (FIGS. 19-20), as also described above.

FIGS. 21A-C illustrate a conductive disk 2100 that is a generally flexible, conductive body having a diameter substantially greater than its thickness. In an embodiment, the disk 2100 is a conductive plastic. In an embodiment, the disk diameter is defined by the diameter of the nozzle housing aperture 2012 (FIG. 18A) so that the disk 2100 is captured between the contact housing wall 1920 (FIGS. 19A-D) and the nozzle housing wall 2020 (FIGS. 20A-F), as described above.

FIGS. 22A-D illustrate a contact 2200 having a relatively long first leg 2210 and a relatively short second leg 2220 extending perpendicularly from an end of the first leg 2210. A disk contact 2222 is defined at the end of the short leg 2220. A pair of the contacts 2200 are embedded in contact slots 1912 (FIGS. 19A, 19D) so that the long legs 2210 extend from the sides of the contact housing top 1910 (FIGS. 19A-D) and so that the short legs 2220 extend through a corresponding pair of contact apertures 1914 (FIG. 19C) and into the contact chamber 1820 (FIG. 19C), as described with respect to FIGS. 18A-B, above.

A pressure sensor has been disclosed in detail in connection with various embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed by way of examples only and are not to limit the scope of the disclosure herein. One of ordinary skill in art will appreciate many variations and modifications.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device or process illustrated can be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As will be recognized, certain embodiments of the inventions described herein can be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features can be used or practiced separately from others. The scope of the inventions is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A patient monitoring system comprising a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor comprising: a sensor housing having an external nozzle defining a nozzle aperture; a chamber defined within the sensor housing; the nozzle aperture extending from the external nozzle to the chamber; a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within the chamber and extending from the chamber to a terminus external to the sensor housing; and a flexible conductive element disposed within the chamber proximate the plurality of electrical contacts, the flexible conductive element responsive to gas pressure exerted at the external nozzle and translated into the chamber via the nozzle aperture so as to cause the flexible conductive element to bridge the plurality of electrical contacts, and the plurality of electrical contacts configured to conduct current when bridged by the flexible conductive element so as to indicate a gas pressure threshold at the external nozzle.
 2. A patient monitoring system comprising: an inflatable cuff attachable to a wearer; a gas reservoir coupled to the inflatable cuff and configured to provide gas to the inflatable cuff via a gas pathway; and a pressure sensor configured to obtain blood pressure data from the inflatable cuff, the pressure sensor comprising a flexible conductive element disposed within a chamber proximate a plurality of electrical contacts, the plurality of electrical contacts configured to conduct current when bridged by the flexible conductive element so as to indicate a gas pressure threshold at a nozzle, the flexible conductive element responsive to gas pressure exerted at the nozzle and translated into the chamber via a nozzle aperture so as to cause the flexible conductive element to bridge the electrical contacts.
 3. The patient monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the gas is compressed gas.
 4. The patient monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the gas reservoir comprises at least one of a gas tank, a gas cylinder, or a bottled gas and at least one of a pre-filled gas or compressed gas.
 5. The patient monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the gas reservoir is replaceable.
 6. The patient monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the gas from the gas reservoir is used to generate electricity for the patient monitoring system.
 7. The patient monitoring system of claim 2, further comprising a valve associated with the gas pathway and configured to open to allow gas to flow from the gas reservoir to the inflatable cuff.
 8. The patient monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the valve comprises: a body having an input nozzle defining an input port; a cap having an output nozzle defining an output port; and an actuator disposed between the body and the cap, the actuator having an open position that allows gas flow from the input port to the output port and a closed position that prevents gas flow from the input port to the output port, the actuator having a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire loop in communication with an electrical plug, and the SMA wire loop contracting and expanding in response to current applied to electrical contacts so as to move the actuator between the closed position and the open position.
 9. The patient monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the actuator comprises: a plunger having a seal end and a spring end; a seal disposed at the seal end, the seal configured to press against a seat disposed in the body proximate the input port so as to prevent gas flow through the input port in the closed position; and a spring disposed at the spring end, the spring biasing the seal against the seat, the SMA wire loop having a closed end strung through the plunger and open ends fixedly secured proximate the cap, and the SMA wire loop configured to pull the actuator against a force of the spring when current flows through the electrical contacts so as to move the seal away from the seat as the actuator moves from the closed position to the open position.
 10. The patient monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the plunger comprises: a cylindrical piston; and a plurality of semi-cylindrical rails disposed around walls of the cylindrical piston.
 11. The patient monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the body comprises an elongated hollow shell having a closed first end defining the input nozzle and an open second end that receives the cap, the elongated hollow shell having a fluted interior configured to accommodate the actuator and a square cross-sectioned exterior defining edges, wherein the fluted interior of the elongated hollow shell comprises: a plurality of semi-cylindrical grooves proximate the edges of the elongated hollow shell; and a plurality of cylindrical grooves proximate sides of the elongated hollow shell, the plurality of semi-cylindrical grooves receive the semi-cylindrical rails which slidably fit within the plurality of semi-cylindrical grooves, the plurality of cylindrical grooves receive the cylindrical piston so as to define gas channels that accommodate gas flow between the input port of the body and the output port of the cap when the seal is pulled away from the seat by the SMA wire loop in opposition to the spring during valve actuation.
 12. The patient monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the body comprises an elongated hollow shell having a closed first end defining the input nozzle and an open second end that receives the cap, the elongated hollow shell having a fluted interior configured to accommodate the actuator and a square cross-sectioned exterior defining edges.
 13. The patient monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the chamber is a first chamber, the patient monitoring system further comprising: a second chamber coupled to the valve; and a chamber cover hingedly coupled to the second chamber, wherein when the chamber cover is closed the chamber cover and the second chamber encapsulate the gas reservoir and the chamber cover exerts a force on the gas reservoir in a direction of the valve.
 14. The patient monitoring system of claim 2, further comprising a two-stage regulator configured to maintain pressure in a segment of the gas pathway at an approximately constant pressure.
 15. The patient monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the pressure sensor is communicably coupled to a patient monitor configured to receive the blood pressure data from the pressure sensor to determine a blood pressure measurement of the wearer.
 16. The patient monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the patient monitor is configured to filter the blood pressure data to generate filtered blood pressure data, the filtered blood pressure data comprising pressure oscillations in the inflatable cuff due to blood flow in an artery of the wearer. 